The National Guard is “closely monitoring” the situation in and around the buffer zone after fears arose of heightened tensions near the buffer zone village of Pyla last week, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said on Monday.
“It is a fact that in recent days, there has been an escalation of provocations by the Turkish occupation troops. The National Guard, within the framework of its duties and responsibilities, which primarily include people’s safety, is closely monitoring the situation,” he said.
He added that “political initiatives” regarding the matter are “being taken” by the foreign ministry.
Fears of heightened tensions had arisen in Pyla last week, with a line of Turkish tanks being spotted in the area.
Unficyp spokesman Aleem Siddique confirmed to the Cyprus Mail that the tanks were at all times located “north of the northern ceasefire line”, and as such not in the buffer zone, before later confirming that they had departed.
Given Pyla and nearby Pergamos’ proximity to the United Kingdom’s Dhekelia base, British vehicles also deployed to the area, though British bases spokeswoman Korina Orphanides told the Cyprus Mail that vehicles had been deployed only as a precaution and “took no action”, thus indicating that the tanks were also located outside the base.
Earlier, Siddique had confirmed that there are “no military assets inside the buffer zone”, and that reports that a Turkish flag had been planted in the buffer zone also did not correspond to reality. The flag, he said, is located in the north.
Meanwhile, news website Kibris Postasi quoted military sources as having said that the tanks had been deployed because “the Greek Cypriot authorities attempted to facilitate illegal crossings”, possibly of veterinarians, into the buffer zone near Pyla, “citing an outbreak of foot and mouth disease on the Greek Cypriot side”.
As such, the sources said, measures were taken to bolster the Turkish Cypriot security presence in the area.
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