Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu on Wednesday blasted the UN over what it said was its biased stance in favour of the Greek Cypriot side.
“The UN is creating crises instead of preserving the peace,” he said in a press conference attended by the Mukhtar of Pile Veysel Güden and Mayor of Beyarmudu Bülent Bebek.
Ertuğruloğlu argued that for 30 years the Greek Cypriot side has been violating the buffer zone in the area by building infrastructure, roads, universities, and a stadium “as if it is their own territory”.
“It is a mistake to think that in return for this road project we will give something to the Greek Cypriots. This is the mistake the UN made,” he stressed.
He added that “we said we wanted this work to be stopped. We had previous projects in the area, and they were stopped. If there is to be a change in the area’s status quo, we need to act carefully. Our position is that work should only be done in this area after negotiating with us.”
He pointed out that the work to open up the plots of land had been carried out without consulting the Turkish Cypriot authorities.
“On October 23, without our approval, Greek Cypriot construction equipment continued working on our road route. We can easily say that they are creating an environment that threatens peace, contrary to the UN’s supposed mission to maintain peace. It is not right for us to accept such a thing. It is not possible for us to accept any project, and we insist that the Greek Cypriot construction equipment must stop their work and leave the area,” he said.
Ertuğruloğlu explained that the Pile-Yiğitler road project had been brought to the agenda due to the recent difficulties faced by the Turkish Cypriot residents of Pile.
He added that they had learned during the talks on the road that the EU had placed the control of the buffer zone under the Greek Cypriot administration.
“We are building this road for the needs of the Turkish Cypriots, and it is not a matter related to the Green Line regulation. However, the EU included the entire buffer zone within the allegedly controlled territory of the so-called Republic of Cyprus. We only recently found out that the Green Line regulation contained such a provision. Neither we nor Turkish authorities were aware of this. We have not relinquished our rights in the buffer zone,” the foreign minister said.
Ertuğruloğlu also expressed that it is inevitable to re-evaluate the TRNC’s relationship with the United Nations.
“Given the UN’s failure to fairly conclude our humanitarian project, they should understand that we have the right to reconsider our relationship with the UN. The UN has been blatantly excluding the Turkish Cypriots, especially the Turkish Cypriot mayor of Pile, and acting as if Pile’s Greek Cypriot mayor was the mayor of all of Pile, creating a scenario as if it was a Greek village, despite it being a buffer zone. And while the construction of our road has been halted, the Greek Cypriots are carrying out designs on land used by the Turkish Cypriots, and the UN is not doing anything to stop them. We have every right to question all of this,” he stressed.
He also noted that there have been inaccurate reports in the Greek Cypriot media and in the country but chose not to comment on them, preferring to monitor the process.
Ertuğruloğlu emphasized, “The approval of both sides is needed in any project to be considered in the buffer zone. We have informed the UN that we did not approve of the unilateral project of the Greek Cypriot side, which involved parcelling activities on the lands we have been using for years. We refrained from making comments to prevent them from obstructing the Pile-Yiğitler road project. I do not trust the goodwill of the Greek Cypriots, and I prefer to observe the actions of the UN,” Ertuğruloğlu said.
He further stressed, “It is essential for the Greek Cypriots to immediately cease working on the lands used by the Turks and remove their vehicles from the area. The UN is creating a crisis instead of maintaining peace.”
Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu answered questions after his press statement.