Newsroom
A reported violation of the UN-controlled buffer zone near the village of Avlona on Sunday has drawn complaints from local Greek Cypriot residents, who say they have been denied access to their land for more than a decade.
According to Avlona community leader Menelaos Savva, three tractors driven by Turkish farmers entered the buffer zone shortly before 1 p.m., operating next to a United Nations guard post. The land, he said, belongs to residents of the community who have been unable to access it for years.
“They do not allow us access for a decade, while others enter unimpeded,” Savva said.
The presence of the tractors was noticed by a local farmer, who saw them inside the buffer zone and alerted the community leader. Savva said rainfall in the area interrupted the activity and forced the tractors to withdraw. “They left through the water,” he said.
Savva stressed that the incident was not isolated. “This thing happens all the time,” he said, referring to repeated entries from the Turkish side.
The incident was officially reported to the United Nations, and Cyprus’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also informed. Savva said he was told that the issue “will be examined.” Two UN soldiers are currently in the area, and further communication from the Foreign Ministry is expected.
Local residents are particularly frustrated because they themselves are barred from the area. According to Savva, every request for access is rejected with the explanation that “tension will be created.”
Savva also questioned the timing of the entry. “They come Sunday midday on purpose, because they thought no one would see them,” he said, adding that although the tractors withdrew on this occasion, the problem has not been resolved.
