Türkiye criticizes UN renewal of Cyprus peacekeeping mandate

ANKARA

Türkiye on Jan. 31 criticized a United Nations Security Council decision extending the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for another year, arguing the move again failed to secure the consent of the Turkish Cypriot side.

The Security Council renewed the force’s mandate until Jan. 31, 2027, adopting Resolution 2815 (2026) with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions.

In a statement, Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said that extending the mission’s mandate without the approval of “one of the two sovereignly equal peoples on the island” runs against the United Nations’ established practice and principles.

Ankara said UNFICYP’s work in the Turkish Cypriot-controlled north continues only thanks to what it called the “goodwill” of local authorities, and urged the creation of a legal framework to underpin the mission’s activities there. It said any steps taken by Turkish Cypriot authorities in that direction would have Türkiye’s full support.

The ministry also objected to language in the resolution referring to the long-disputed Yiğitler–Pyla (Pile) road project, which is intended to provide direct access for Turkish Cypriots to the north.

Ankara said the project remains incomplete and blamed UNFICYP for not implementing an earlier understanding due to what it described as pressure from the Greek Cypriot side.

It further criticized the resolution for not referencing what it described as an increasing number of alleged violations in the buffer zone by the Greek Cypriot side, including infrastructure projects in and around the area.

Greek Cypriot side, meanwhile, welcomed the renewal, saying the continued presence of the peacekeeping force remains essential and pledging cooperation with the mission.

Türkiye’s statement also repeated its long-held view that efforts based on past parameters have failed, and argued the most realistic settlement lies in “the coexistence of two states” on the island.