The presence and influence of Türkiye in Cypruswhose northern half has been occupied by the Turkish Army since 1974, is a matter of survival for the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
So much so, that the Turkish king is willing to literally override UN officials trying to keep peace between the Turkish and Greek communities of the island.
As reported by the UN, Turkish Cypriot forces attacked UN blue helmets who were trying to prevent the construction of a road in the demilitarized zone that separates the Republic of Cyprusa member country of the European Union, of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprusrecognized only by Türkiye.
That demilitarized zone, known as the green zone, is an area under the control of the United Nations blue helmets.
Turkish Cypriot forces illegally occupying the north of the country are trying to build a road to increase their control of the territory. However, the UN He did not give his authorization to carry out the works.
Despite everything, the Turkish Cypriots began construction work. To stop them, the UN displaced the blue helmets that interposed several vehicles in the construction zone.
However, as can be seen in several videos broadcast on social networks, the turkish cypriot bulldozersthey pushed the vehicles and destroyed the concrete and barbed wire barriers that the UN officials had built, while Turkish Cypriot policemen drove the peacekeepers away.
As reported Afp, the incident has caused deep outrage within the UN. Its general secretary, Antonio Guterrescalled the event “unacceptable” and warned that “it could constitute serious crimes under international law.”
“The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (Unficyp) condemns the attacks on peacekeepers and the damage caused to UN vehicles by personnel from the Turkish Cypriot side this morning,” the UN statement said.
The Turkish Cypriot authorities chose to put themselves in profile and demand an end to UN interference in their affairs: “We hope that Unficyp (…) will review its biased position and immediately end its physical interference and its efforts to block » construction works.
