UN peacekeeping force's intervention in Northern Cyprus road construction 'unacceptable': Turkish President Erdogan

By Diyar Guldogan

UN peacekeeping force's intervention in Northern Cyprus road construction was "unacceptable," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

"The physical intervention of UN peacekeeping force soldiers on the territory that falls under the sovereignty of the TRNC is never acceptable to us," Erdogan said after the Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

Erdogan's remarks came after the 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 as a result of the 11.6 kilometers (7.2 miles) construction and repair work.

The first 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) of the road will pass through Yigitler, and the second 4.1 kilometers (2.5 miles) will pass through Pile.

"It is neither legal nor humane to prevent Turkish Cypriots living in Pile village from reaching their homeland," Erdogan said.

The president also stressed that the peacekeeping force overshadowed its impartiality with physical intervention to villagers in Northern Cyprus, and unfortunate statements.

"What is expected from the UN is to contribute to resolving the humanitarian needs of all parties on the Island by truly representing its name, instead of demonstrating destabilizing behavior," he added.