Cypriots

The assault on Friday against members of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) by Turkish Cypriots, after they attempted to block unauthorized road construction works inside the buffer zone near Pyla, "is absolutely condemnable,"the main opposition said in a statement.

The UN mission in ethnically divided Cyprus said Thursday it will block construction by Turkish Cypriots of a road that would encroach on a UN-controlled buffer zone and likely raise tensions on the Mediterranean island nation.

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler has reassured the public that Türkiye's commitment to peace, stability and cooperation in Cyprus and the Mediterranean will persist, while emphasizing the protection of national interests during the pursuit of a solution to the longstanding issue.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday didn't rule out reviving deadlocked negotiations to resolve Cyprus' nearly 50-year ethnic division, but again rejected any deal that wouldn't offer Turkish Cypriots a state of their own.

Τhat position stands against a United Nations-sanctioned framework envisioning a federated island nation.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has strongly criticized the recent statement by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which proposed a federal solution to the long-standing Cyprus problem.