The Society of Cyprus Turkish Retired Officers has strongly condemned the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP) for its stance and actions regarding the Yiğitler – Pile Road issue.

The society expressed its reaction in a statement issued on Monday.

The head of the Society of the Cyprus Turkish Retired Officers, Retired Captain Kâzım And, noted that despite UNFICYP’s mission to establish peace and stability between the two sides in Cyprus, it has failed to achieve this goal “fairly and impartially within the historical and cultural context of the Turkish Cypriot people.”

In a written statement issued on behalf of the society, And expressed the view that UNFICYP often acts as if it were a body of the Greek Cypriot Administration, lacking justice and courage, particularly when it comes to safeguarding the rights to life, economic development, and human progress of the Turkish Cypriot people.

“The Greek Cypriot administration has repeatedly claimed, through various statements, that the UN controlled buffer zone belongs to their territory. UNFICYP, instead of remaining neutral and adhering strictly to rules and conventions, continues to favor the Greek Cypriot side, as seen both in the past and present. For years, it has been unilaterally conceeding territory within the buffer zone to the Greek Cypriots without any agreement on the island,” he said.

And added that UNFICYP must recognize that the island belongs not only to the Greek Cypriots but also to the Turkish Cypriots, who have sovereignty rights, and it needs to take actions for them as well.”