Turk Cypriots say road project disputed by UN is ‘essential’

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Saturday described as "essential" the construction of a road which has triggered rare tension with United Nations peacekeepers on the divided island.

Scuffles broke out on Friday between UN peacekeepers and Turkish Cypriot security personnel when peacekeepers tried to prevent roadworks starting in an area the UN says is part of a buffer zone under its jurisdiction. Turkish Cypriot authorities say the peacekeeping force, known as UNFICYP, overstepped its boundaries.

"It is unfortunate that an attempt was made by UNFICYP to obstruct the development of the road being carried out by a civilian contractor, within the sovereign territory of the TRNC," Tatar said in a statement to Reuters, referring to the so-called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," an entity recognised only by Ankara in the Turkish-occupied northern part of the...