Pyla, Cyprus. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over advances by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot personnel into the buffer zone near Pyla, according to an advance copy of his latest report on the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus, Unficyp.
He said the situation was particularly fragile in the Pyla area, where Unficyp has increased patrols and maintained a permanent deployment to deter further incursions.
Access restrictions and deployments
Guterres said authorities in the north have claimed that part of the plateau near Pyla falls under their authority. Since early February, Turkish Cypriot police have imposed access restrictions on civilians and detained a Greek Cypriot individual on one occasion before releasing the person shortly afterwards.
In April, the Turkish Cypriot presence near Pyla was further reinforced through the gradual deployment of static vehicles at key locations in the buffer zone, he said.
Unficyp responded by increasing its presence and monitoring capability on the plateau, including through additional patrols and a permanent deployment.
April tensions
Tensions peaked in April, Guterres said, when Turkish forces assembled a convoy of 15 armed personnel vehicles on the northern ceasefire line outside the buffer zone, increased staffing at a nearby observation post with about 20 soldiers, and began deploying uniformed Turkish Cypriot police personnel.
He said the personnel were deployed in the part of the buffer zone claimed by authorities in the north.
The developments occurred amid what Guterres described as a continued hardening of the Turkish Cypriot position regarding the United Nations’ mandated authority, particularly over the delineation of this section of the buffer zone.
Road agreement
Unficyp continues to engage with Turkish Cypriot authorities to de-escalate tensions and restore the previous status, Guterres said.
He also referred to the 2023 mutual understanding on construction of a road linking Pyla with the nearby Turkish Cypriot village of Arsos, as well as residential properties and a solar farm. The arrangement has been frozen since November 2023, and Unficyp is reviewing options for a way forward.