ADDS SPOKESPERSON'S STATEMENT
By Serife Cetin
The UN did not explain Thursday why it tried to prevent the construction of a humanitarian road connecting the Pile and Yigitler villages in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) but took no action against projects initiated by Greek Cypriots.
An Anadolu reporter asked UN associate spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino about the response of the UN and the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) to actions by the Greek Cypriot administration and the TRNC, during a news conference.
The reporter cited occasions, including those in 1996, 2003, 2004, 2012 and 2020, when the Greek side carried out construction, military fortification and built a university 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?" asked the reporter.
Nino left the question unanswered and said she did not have all the files with her and she had to look into more detail.
"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 said.
In a statement provided to Anadolu on Friday, Nino said UNFICYP, mandated by the Security Council, works impartially with both sides to prevent 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 said in the statement.
UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) last week intervened in road construction work to link the Turkish Cypriot village of Pile in the buffer zone with the rest of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
The road expansion is strategically important for residents as it will give them more options to reach Pile, where Turks and Greek Cypriots live together.
The Greek Cypriot administration and the UN are opposed to the project.
Residents of Pile will be able to travel shorter distances and will not have to pass through British bases when crossing to the Turkish side when the 11.6-kilometer (7.2-mile) construction and repair work ends.
The first 7.5 km (4.66 mi) of the road will pass through the village of Yigitler, and the second 4.1 km (2.55 mi) will pass through Pile.