Türkiye issued a strong condemnation on Saturday after the
United Nations Security Council renewed the mandate of the UN
Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for another year without the
consent of the Turkish Cypriot side, Azernews
reports, citing Yeni Safak.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that extending the mission’s
mandate without the agreement of the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC) is “contrary to established UN practices and
principles” and perpetuates failed approaches to resolving the
Cyprus issue.
Ankara expressed full backing for the TRNC’s statement on the
matter, emphasizing that the continued reliance on outdated
settlement frameworks obstructs a just and sustainable solution
based on the island’s realities. The ministry stressed that UNFICYP
operates in TRNC territory only with the goodwill of Turkish
Cypriot authorities and called for a legal framework to regulate
its presence. “Should this not happen in a timely manner, the steps
to be taken by the TRNC authorities will have the full support of
Motherland and Guarantor Türkiye,” it warned.
The statement also criticized the resolution for including
“biased references” to infrastructure projects such as the
Yigitler-Pile road—a humanitarian initiative to connect Turkish
Cypriots in Pile village to the TRNC—while ignoring violations by
the Greek Cypriot side, including construction in the buffer zone.
Türkiye argued that the Greek Cypriot Administration has no
sovereignty over northern Cyprus or the buffer zone and questioned
the peacekeeping force’s effectiveness, noting that peace on the
island has been maintained for decades by the Turkish Armed Forces
and Türkiye’s guarantor role.
Reiterating that the most viable path forward is a two-state
solution based on the sovereign equality of both sides, Türkiye
urged the international community and the UN Security Council to
recognize the TRNC’s inherent rights and support cooperation
between two neighboring states in Cyprus.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Türkiye intervened as a
guarantor power following a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at unification
with Greece. The TRNC was established in 1983 but is recognized
only by Türkiye. UN-led peace efforts have repeatedly stalled, most
notably in 2017, and the Greek Cypriot administration joined the EU
in 2004 after rejecting a UN reunification plan.