The UN didn’t clarify Thursday why it tried to stop the development of a humanitarian highway connecting the Pile and Yiğitler villages within the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) however took no motion towards tasks initiated by Greek Cypriots.
An Anadolu reporter requested UN affiliate spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino in regards to the response of the UN and the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) to actions by the Greek Cypriot administration and the TRNC, throughout a news convention.
The reporter cited events, together with these in 1996, 2003, 2004, 2012 and 2020, when the Greek facet carried out development, army fortification and constructed a college in violation of the buffer zone.
“So the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs basically states that some of these go through Turkish Cypriot property. And, also, what I have observed from my digging into the past is that the UN and the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus have not condemned nor intervened in any of the Greek Cypriot projects. It has merely noted them in various reports that were published. And the Turkish Cypriot site says that the latest project which was halted by the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus is a humanitarian one, and it’s vital for access. So, I would just basically like to know, how can you explain the clear difference of treatment to both sides, and isn’t the UN and the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus obliged to treat both sides equally?” requested the reporter.
Nino left the query unanswered and mentioned she didn’t have all of the information together with her and he or she needed to look into extra element.
“I will have to look into this because I do not have all the movements of the Cyprus peacekeeping mission. I would encourage you to contact them first, but I’ll get back to you on that,” she mentioned.
In a press release supplied to Anadolu on Friday, Nino mentioned UNFICYP, mandated by the Security Council, works impartially with each side to stop tensions.
“UNFICYP is mandated by the Security Council to prevent tensions and maintain the status quo across the UN buffer zone. UNFICYP continues to work closely with both sides in an impartial manner to address their concerns and ensure the UN’s mandated authority is upheld inside the buffer zone,” she mentioned within the assertion.
UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) final week intervened in highway development work to hyperlink the Turkish Cypriot village of Pile within the buffer zone with the remainder of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
The highway enlargement is strategically necessary for residents as it’ll give them extra choices to succeed in Pile, the place Turks and Greek Cypriots dwell collectively.
The Greek Cypriot administration and the UN are against the challenge.
Residents of Pile will have the ability to journey shorter distances and won’t should move by British bases when crossing to the Turkish facet when the 11.6-kilometer (7.2-mile) development and restore work ends.
The first 7.5 km (4.66 mi) of the highway will move by the village of Yiğitler, and the second 4.1 km (2.55 mi) will move by Pile.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
