Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman released a statement on April 1 condemning an attack by certain groups from the Greek Cypriot Administration who targeted civilians sitting in a park near the border area dividing the capital Nicosia.
Erhürman also called on the U.N. and the Greek Cypriot government to “urgently launch an investigation into the incident.”
In the statement, Erhürman recalled that around 13.30 p.m. (10:30GMT), stones and explosives were thrown by a group gathered on the Greek Cypriot Administration side at Turkish Cypriot citizens in Yiğitler Bastion.
“This attack took place in an area that bears responsibility both for the Greek Cypriot leadership and for the U.N. Peacekeeping Force, as it is in the nature of a buffer zone and also used as a route by the U.N. Peacekeeping Force.”
“Contact has been established with the U.N. Peacekeeping Force and our counterparts in the south regarding this incident. On a day like April 1, when such incidents could be anticipated by everyone, it is unacceptable that no precautions were taken in such an area,” Erhürman said.
He emphasized that they strongly condemn the attack.
“We will follow up to ensure that the authorized bodies of the Greek Cypriot leadership urgently initiate the necessary judicial investigation and that those who carried out this attack are subjected to the required legal proceedings,” he added.
On the side of Nicosia controlled by the Greek Cypriot Administration, Greek Cypriot groups gathered on April 1 to mark the anniversary of the founding of the terrorist organization EOKA.
Around noon, they carried out an attack using stones, sticks and improvised explosives against civilians sitting in Yiğitler Bastion on the Turkish Cypriot side of Nicosia, from the zero point of the border and the U.N.-controlled buffer zone.
Following the attack, Turkish Cypriot police increased security measures in the area, while U.N. Peacekeeping Force soldiers also took security measures in the buffer zone.
A similar attack was carried out on April 1, 2025, in the same park by Greek Cypriot groups supporting the EOKA.
