During the Famagusta Municipality’s anti-occupation event in Deryneia, on the evening of last Saturday, it has now emerged that the occupying force breached the buffer zone regime, flying unmanned aircraft that took off from the occupied areas.
The drones flew very close to where the anti-occupation event was taking place, whose keynote speaker was President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides. Related reports also indicate that Turkish military marches blared out from the occupied areas during the event, in an apparent attempt to disrupt proceedings.
These provocative acts come at a time when there are genuine developments on the Cyprus problem. Condemning the fresh Turkish provocations, President Christodoulides said: “As long as we see developments, as long as we see facts pointing towards a resolution of the Cyprus problem, there will certainly be those, and I’m referring to the Turkish side, who embrace the partition of Cyprus, who are wedded to the continuation of this unacceptable state of affairs, and who will seek to create problems, to create new issues and difficulties.”
This, then, is a targeted act. Clearly a move designed to send a message, one tied to the ongoing effort on the Cyprus problem. It provokes tension. Sustains it. It’s a choice. A political stance. An attempt to derail attention from the real objective: reaching a settlement on the Cyprus problem.
Asked whether he thought the timing was a coincidence, the President replied: “The Turkish occupying army may well have wanted to send certain messages. I don’t know who’s behind this act, what preceded it, who gave the orders, why it happened, and so on.”
We will expect the United Nations to take a position. To condemn the Turkish action, and to intervene with the occupying side. This was no accident, which is exactly why the incident needs to be investigated and condemned.
It’s clear that behaviour like this has a significant impact on whatever efforts are being made on the Cyprus problem. It confirms just how provocative the occupying force continues to be.
Turkey’s conduct also reveals the intentions of the occupying side, at a critical juncture for the Cyprus problem. And that is deeply worrying. Actions like these, however, cannot go unanswered. Nicosia isn’t short of diplomatic weapons.
