The status of the buffer zone remains unchanged, said Aleem Siddique, spokesperson for the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), in response to reports about construction activity in the buffer zone in Deneia.
Siddique, in a statement to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Wednesday, affirmed, “We are aware of reports of construction activity north of Deneia, outside the UN buffer zone.”
He added that they were in contact with the local community leader “to reassure him that the status of the buffer zone remains unchanged.” UNFICYP is closely monitoring the area to prevent any tensions, he further noted.
In August, civilians and military from the Turkish Cypriot side assaulted a group of international peacekeepers who obstructed crews working on a road that encroached on a UN-controlled buffer zone in Pyla, Larnaca.
The international community, including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, condemned the attack. Subsequently, an understanding was reached to create a single urban development area, and works, based on this understanding, were temporarily halted to address complaints by some Turkish Cypriot landowners who believed their plots were affected.
Further violations occurred in December 2023 when Turkish occupation forces entered the buffer zone in the Ayios Dometios area in Nicosia. They installed a metal mast on an uninhabited residence, mounting a rotating camera and antenna.
In a recent report, the UN Secretary-General highlighted the importance of parties refraining from unilateral actions both in and adjacent to the buffer zone that could escalate tensions.
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