Turkish Cypriot forces assault UN peacekeepers on buffer zone that separates Greeks from Turks
- They attempted to block construction of a controversial road in the buffer zone – the line that slices between the Greek and Turkish sides of the island
- Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish forces occupied the island’s northern side in response to a military coup by the junta in power in Greece
Turkish Cypriot forces assaulted UN peacekeepers on Friday as they attempted to block the construction of a controversial road in the buffer zone that separates the island from the Greek side, the UN mission on the island said.
The incident occurred in Pyla, a village in the UN-patrolled Green Line that slices between the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot statelet in the north.
The United Nations mission had on Thursday warned the Turkish Cypriot authorities against “unauthorised construction activities inside the UN buffer zone”.
But it said its peacekeepers had come under attack on Friday as they tried to block the construction of the road that encroaches on the buffer zone.
“The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus condemns the assaults against UN peacekeepers and damage to UN vehicles by personnel from the Turkish Cypriot side this morning,” UNFICYP said in a statement.
It said the incident occurred inside the buffer zone near Pyla, outside the southern coastal town of Larnaca.
