Thursday, 24 August 2023
The Greek Cypriot administration is waiting for the results of diplomatic initiatives regarding the dispute with the UN over road improvements in Pile, Kibris Postasi reports.
Pile (Pyla) is a bi-communal village sited in the UN buffer zone. The fight broke out between UN personnel and TRNC security officers when UN soldiers tried to stop roadworks intended to improve the road and ease access to and from the Pile village and Yiğitler (Arsos) from the Turkish Cypriot side. According to Turkish Daily Sabah, “the road would give Turkish Cypriots direct access to Pile by bypassing a checkpoint on the fringes of a British military base”. Daily Sabah also noted that “the Greek Cypriot side has already engaged in numerous and systematic construction projects in the buffer zone that changes the status quo, upon which the UN has remained silent”.
UN special forces were deployed when the contractor reportedly made incursions into the buffer zone without prior agreement. Reportedly the roadwork had been discussed between the two sides but no agreement had been reached.
Citing Greek Cypriot daily Phileleftheros, Kibris Postasi reports that the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Cyprus Colin Stewart seems to have taken the leading role in diplomacy regarding Pile, and that Stewart continues his contacts with both sides.
Meanwhile, Greek Cypriot daily Alithia claimed that UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča, who is expected to arrive on the island on Sunday evening, is trying to arrange a joint meeting with the UN Secretary-General in New York between Christodoulides and TRNC President Ersin Tatar.
According to the news, Jenča will meet with Christodoulides on Monday morning, and then later with Tatar.
It was also reported that Jenča’s visit to Cyprus had been arranged before the Pile debacle broke out.
