Turkish soldiers harass Greek Cypriot farmers in Cyprus buffer zone

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Turkish soldiers harassed Greek Cypriot farmers in the UN buffer zone in Cyprus on Wednesday morning, according to local officials.

The incident took place in the village of Denia, west of Nicosia. Community leader Charalambos Alexandrou said Turkish troops approached farmers who had gone to work their fields and tried to force them to leave.

The farmers stayed and continued their work. After the incident was reported, United Nations peacekeepers went to Denia. In a written statement, UNFICYP spokesman Aleem Siddique said the force had been mobilised to de-escalate the situation and restore calm. He added that UNFICYP was monitoring developments to preserve the existing status of the buffer zone.

Alexandrou said the farmers eventually finished their work in the presence of both the peacekeepers and the Turkish soldiers. He also said similar harassment had occurred over the past two months.

The latest episode came two weeks after UNFICYP chief Hasim Djan met Alexandrou and Denia farmers to discuss their safety at the start of the seasonal farming period. After that meeting, Alexandrou said the peacekeeping force would try to make its presence more visible in the area. The farmers had already asked for more patrols.

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