‘Turkish Cyprus won’t take step back from road construction’

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu noted that they will not take a step back from its road construction initiative opposed by the U.N, which aims to connect Pile village in the buffer zone with the rest of the country.

“The Current Pile (Pyla) – Yiğitler (Arsos) Path expansion/improvement project has been prepared with the aim of ensuring easy access for the residents of Pile to their lands in the Pile region, promoting economic development for the local community, and enabling passage to the village of Pile without reliance on the British Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs),” said TRNC’s foreign minister in a statement.

Minister Ertuğruloğlu stressed that the Pile-Yiğitler road project was originally and solely designed for humanitarian reasons, to facilitate the life of the Turkish Cypriots in the village.

Adding that the endeavor doesn’t mean to “steal land,” he said: “We face a conspiracy that aims to present the Turkish Cypriot side as the culprit.”

We remain determined to go ahead with the construction of the road, he added.

Moreover, Ertugruloğlu called United National Peace Keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) “not a Turkish-friendly organization” and urged them not to try to prevent the endeavor.

Tension in the buffer zone

U.N. peacekeeping forces erected concrete blocks on the construction site to prevent the commencement of road construction work.

Moreover, they parked their vehicles in the TRNC territory.

In response, TRNC security forces removed the vehicles by bulldozer.