Palmas slams UN for ‘keeping equal distances’ over Denia buffer zone incident

Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas on Sunday demanded that the United Nations bring an end to what he described as a policy of “keeping equal distances” between the island’s two sides, following a brief confrontation between Turkish military forces and Greek Cypriot farmers in the buffer zone near the Nicosia district village of Denia on Saturday.

“We cannot play with fire. The Republic of Cyprus cannot tolerate such approaches and views,” he said, before adding that the foreign ministry has already “taken steps”.

He then added that he believes that the UN “will take a position instead of keeping equal distances around issues concerning such dangerous situations”.

“The only way to ensure that such provocative and dangerous situations [created] by the occupying forces will not arise in the future is for the United Nations to enforce the principles and values of the UN charter,” he said.

“We are peaceful and democratic state. At the same time, we defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus. This is a self-evident obligation of the Republic of Cyprus.”

UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (Unficyp) spokesman Aleem Siddique had told the Cyprus Mail on Saturday that Turkish forces had “approached” farmers near Denia on Saturday morning, and that UN peacekeepers “attended the scene to diffuse tensions”.

He added that all parties had thereafter left the area, and that “the situation remains calm, and we are continuing to monitor the area closely”.

“Preventing tensions remains our most important priority,” he said.

The buffer zone near Denia has historically been a point of contention between the island’s two sides, with the village’s mukhtar Christakis Panayiotou reporting “threats” made by Turkish soldiers and other disagreements having taken place in the buffer zone near his village over the years.

Last year, he said he believed Turkish forces were “constructing an anti-tank trench estimated to be four to five metres wide and three to four metres deep”.

On that occasion, Siddique later told the Cyprus Mail that Unficyp was “in contact with the mukhtar to reassure him that the status of the buffer zone remains unchanged”.

“Peacekeepers are in the area to deal with any challenges which may arise,” he said.