Turkish Cypriot consent 'must' for UN peacekeeping activities

LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

The UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) must carry out its activities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with the consent of Turkish Cypriots, the Turkish Cypriot foreign minister said Friday.

The UN Security Council on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution that renewed the mandate of the UNFICYP for another six months.

"If the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is going to serve on the soil of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, it must receive the approval of Turkish Cypriot people," Tahsin Ertugruloglu said.

"Without the Turkish Cypriots’ approval, it is not an acceptable course of action for UNFICYP to serve in the territory of TRNC only with the Greek Cypriots’ approval," Ertugruloglu told TRNC’s public broadcaster BRT.

He underlined TRNC clearly expressed to the UN that "if they do not take us into consideration and extend the mandate as if nothing has happened, we will have to take some measures."

TRNC will bring these measures to public attention after submitting them to the UN, he said.

Ertugruloglu said this "mistake" has been repeated for many years.

"As if there was a central authority in Cyprus representing the whole Island and its peoples, the ground was prepared for UNFICYP to work on the Island by obtaining the approval of the so-called Republic of Cyprus government."

"For years, we have allowed them to serve in the TRNC territory for hospitality with our good intentions. But it can't go on like this anymore," he added.

Ertugruloglu said the majority of the UNFICYP budget was met by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration and that it carries out its duty as a biased force.

Decades-long dispute

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece's annexation led to Türkiye's military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the UK.

The Greek Cypriot administration entered the EU in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted the UN's Annan plan to end the longstanding dispute.