Türkiye decries UN extension of Cyprus peacekeeping mandate

ANKARA

Türkiye has expressed its discontent with the recent decision by the U.N. to extend the mandate of its peacekeeping force in Cyprus "without consulting the Turkish Cypriot side."

“Contrary to the established practice of the United Nations, the consent of the Turkish Cypriots was, yet again, not sought during the mandate extension of the Peacekeeping Force,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Jan. 30.

“We make use of this occasion to draw attention to the fact that UNFICYP is able to continue its activities in the territory of TRNC [the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus] due to the goodwill of the Turkish Cypriot authorities,” it added.

Turkish Cyprus earlier denounced the decision, saying the U.N. Security Council “has once again repeated its mistake,” and accused the peacekeeping force of failing to treat the Turkish and Greek sides on the island equally.

The Turkish ministry said the UNFICYP has "turned a blind eye to numerous violations of the buffer zone by the Greek Cypriot side."

The dispute over the extension of U.N. mandate follows a series of recent confrontations, including a clash last August between Turkish Cypriot forces and the peacekeepers regarding a road construction in the buffer zone.

The project aims to provide direct access to Pyla for Turkish Cypriots, bypassing a checkpoint at the northern border of a British military base.

While Turkish Cypriot authorities view the project as a "humanitarian effort" to ease access for Pyla village residents, it has raised concerns on the Greek side, which perceives it as a "potential military maneuver" in a sensitive buffer zone.

An agreement has been reached between Turkish Cyprus and U.N. peacekeepers regarding the disputed road, with Ankara stressing that its completion "would help restore confidence among Turkish Cypriots in UNFICYP" and contribute to reducing tensions on the ground.

Meanwhile, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, the newly appointed envoy for Cyprus, said she believes she can work with both Greek Cypriots in the island's south and Turkish Cypriots in the north to get them back to the negotiating table after years of complete stalemate.

Cyprus has been entrenched in a decades-long dispute between the two sides despite numerous diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to reach a comprehensive settlement.