Nicosia, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides said Pakistan has broken the United Nations Security Council’s silent procedure on renewing the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus, Unficyp. He said consultations on the draft resolution are continuing.
Silent procedure broken
Christodoulides said he was informed on Thursday morning that Pakistan had “broken the silent process” in which the resolution had been put and had advanced comments. He said the situation has occurred in the past and that consultations continue.
He made the comments after being asked about rumours of a lack of consensus among Security Council members.
Comments described as negative
Asked whether Pakistan’s comments were favourable for the Greek Cypriot side, Christodoulides said the comments were not positive.
Pakistan’s recent statements on northern Cyprus
Pakistan is a non-permanent member of the Security Council and has in recent years flirted with the prospect of recognising the north as an independent country.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared his country’s support for the people of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus during a visit to Ankara last April. He also said last year that Pakistan “fully supports the cause of northern Cyprus” during a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Islamabad.
Sharif said Turkey has stood by the cause of the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and that Pakistan fully supports the cause of northern Cyprus and stands by Turkey on the issue. Erdogan thanked Sharif, saying Pakistan’s support for the just cause of the Turkish Cypriots was meaningful.
Previous contacts and past recognition
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar previously met Sharif’s predecessor Anwaar ul Haq Kakar in Uzbekistan in 2023, saying at the time that around ten thousand Pakistani citizens live in the TRNC and that he wanted to increase relations and cooperation. Tatar also said Turkish Cypriots and Pakistan have historical ties of culture and brotherhood.
Pakistan, alongside Bangladesh, initially recognised the north when it declared independence in 1983, but both countries withdrew their recognition three days later after the passage of United Nations Security Council resolution 541.
How might Pakistan’s comments affect the Security Council’s renewal of Unficyp’s mandate?
