The government of Cyprus is working to prevent the Turkish plans that attempt a very serious violation of the status quo in the area of Pyla, Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis has stressed.

In a written statement, he notes that the Turkish occupation regime is attempting to create new faits accomplis within the buffer zone in the area of Pyla by planning an illegal entry into the area for the construction of a road that will connect the occupied village of Arsos with an advanced illegal military outpost of the occupation regime.

“This is an attempt for a very serious violation of the status quo,” he underlines, adding that the government is working to prevent this Turkish plan in cooperation with the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, the EU, the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), as well as the Greek government.

The Spokesman says that there are contacts underway at the highest level by the international community towards Ankara that underline the seriousness of the violation, as well as the negative consequences of such an action, both for the prospect of resuming the Cyprus negotiations and for the EU-Turkey relations.

Concluding, he stresses that the government of Cyprus expects the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus to prevent those plans, in accordance with the terms of its mandate.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.