Press Releases

The Government Spokesman, Mr Konstantinos Letymbiotis, held a media briefing at the Presidential Palace today.

In his opening statement at the media briefing, Mr Letymbiotis, inter alia, said: "The Turkish occupation regime is attempting to create new faits accomplis within the buffer zone, in the area of Agios Dometios this time. On Monday afternoon, a number of soldiers of the Turkish occupation forces entered the buffer zone in the Agios Dometios area, and a small group of soldiers installed a metal mast on an uninhabited house, known as "Maria's House", on which a rotating camera and an antenna were placed. It is noted that in the previous days the occupying forces had also supplied the house with electricity in support of the aforementioned installation.

This constitutes yet another attempt to violate the status quo. The Government of Cyprus considers the incident to be a serious and ongoing violation of the buffer zone.  We are in constant contact with the peacekeeping force to restore the situation to where it was before yesterday's events.

We emphasise the seriousness of the violation and the negative consequences of the occupying regime's plans, both on the prospect of resuming negotiations on the Cyprus problem and on the Euro-Turkish relations. We expect the peacekeeping force to restore the status of the buffer zone in accordance with its mandate, deriving in particular from United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 (1964).

For the press release in Turkish, press here.

(AP/EP)