UNFICYP troops traveled to Deneia on Wednesday to restore calm following an incident in which Greek Cypriot farmers were harassed by Turkish soldiers.
Force Spokesperson Alim Siddiq stated in a written statement that, in response to reports “of a violation in the Denia area, within the United Nations buffer zone, UN peacekeeping forces were immediately dispatched to the scene to de-escalate tensions and restore calm.”
“UNFICYP continues to closely monitor the situation to ensure that the status quo is maintained,” the statement said.
SEE ALSO: New incident in Deneia: Turkish soldiers attempted to prevent Greek Cypriot farmers from accessing their fields
It should be noted that the incident occurred in the Deneia buffer zone, when Turkish soldiers tried to prevent Greek Cypriot farmers who had gone to the buffer zone to cultivate their fields.
As Deneia Community Leader Charalambos Alexandrou told Alphanews,live, the situation has now calmed down, while he also denounced the fact that there have been many incidents over the past two months that have not been publicized.
At the same time, he criticizes the stance of the peacekeepers, who “stand by as observers, to no avail,” with Greek Cypriot farmers forced each time to leave the area so that calm can be restored.
However, as Mr. Alexandrou emphasized to us, today the farmers remained at the site and continued their work, with the Turks and the peacekeepers acting merely as observers, until they finished their work and left.
