It has been reported that the Greek Cypriot administration has set up portable concrete pillboxes close to the crossing borders and in areas used frequently by civilians.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay has sent a letter to the United Nations complaining that the Greek Cypriot administration has set up portable concrete pillboxes close to the Yeşilırmak border crossing point borders and in areas used frequently by civilians.
Similar pillboxes were also placed close to the Mansura area along the road leading to the Erenköy enclave.
“This road is used by Cyprus Turkish Security Forces to transport supplies to the division in Erenköy. The Greek Cypriot side has been using the pandemic as an excuse to block supplies from reaching Erenköy for the past four months in violation of the Yeşilırmak agreement. It has used this time to build fortifications for military advantage. We are evaluating the situation,” the foreign ministry statement said.
Explaining that the Greek Cypriot side’s activities were a breach of the military status quo and UN Security Council resolutions, the foreign ministry said that it perceived such acts as a threat.
Deputy Prime Minister Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay also said that he had informed the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative to Cyprus and the Head of the Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNIFCYP) Elizabeth Spehar that the lives of civilians in the area were being put at risk and that the military structures in the area need to be removed immediately.
Minister Özersay has also sent a letter to the head of the UN’s Peacekeeping Operations and Deputy General-Secretary Jean-Pierre Lacroix regarding the issue.
On Thursday, the TRNC Foreign Ministry criticized the announcement on Wednesday by the US embassy in South Cyprus of Washington’s intention to provide International Military Education and Training (IMET) to the Greek Cypriot National Guard.
A statement issued by the Deputy Prime Ministry and Foreign Ministry said that Washington’s move only served to heighten tensions in the region.
The foreign ministry said that the Turkish Cypriot side was shocked with the announcement of support to the Greek Cypriot side, which it added pursued a campaign of armament and an anti-Turkish policy on all international platforms.
It argued that Washington was making a big mistake in believing that the Greek Cypriot leadership which “usurped the rights of Turkish Cypriots and constantly raised tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean” could contribute to regional peace and stability.
BRT
