Cyprus will ‘not accept’ any change to buffer zone status
Nicosia reiterated on Thursday that it will not stand for any moves that cast doubt on the status of the UN-controlled buffer zone through which the Turkish Cypriots illegally tried to build a road last week and physically assaulted international peacekeepers who tried to obstruct them.
“The government is in constant diplomatic contacts and will not accept anything that puts the status of the buffer zone in doubt,” government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said. The head of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, is reportedly actively involved in efforts for a mutually acceptable settlement.
In the meantime, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe Miroslav Jenca is expected in Nicosia this weekend, where he will hold separate meetings with Cyprus President Nicos Christodoulides and Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.
However, Ankara appeared unfazed on Thursday, with Turkish Cypriot media quoting Turkish officials as insisting that only the authorities in the Turkish-occupied north of the island can decide how to proceed with the road’s construction.
