The cow found in the Dead Zone in Avlona belongs to a Turkish settler, according to Christodoulos Pipis, Director General of Veterinary Services.
Speaking after a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture with the five livestock farmers affected by foot-and-mouth disease in recent months, in the presence of the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Andreas Gregoriou, and other officials, Mr. Pipis explained that the animal in question was brought by a Turkish settler from Avlona into the exclusion zone, adding that “following our efforts with the United Nations, we were told that (the settler) will go today to retrieve it.”
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
When asked whether the animal in question had contracted foot-and-mouth disease, Mr. Gregoriou said he was not aware of such a thing.
Earlier today, Avlona Community Leader Menelaos Savva told RIK that he himself had discovered the dead cow on Saturday afternoon and immediately notified the police, UNFICYP, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Savva claimed that the Turkish farmer used a vehicle to transport the cow into the buffer zone, causing a foul odor, and highlighted the risk of disease transmission. The Turkish man owns a farm in the area, and, as the community leader noted, they cannot evict him; furthermore, he revealed that five years ago, the man left two other dead cows in the area.
*Main photo: CNA Archive
