Disturbing video footage has emerged, capturing the moment British peacekeepers were violently attacked and pushed around by Turkish Cypriots during an unauthorised construction project in ethnically-divided Cyprus.
The footage shows a mob of Turkish Cypriots punching, kicking, and shoving the British soldiers in a brutal display of aggression. In an attempt to protect themselves, the peacekeepers raise their hands and move backwards, only to be repeatedly struck. The assault resulted in three British soldiers requiring medical attention, with one soldier sustaining a broken nose.
The attack took place on Friday when peacekeepers parked vehicles and linked arms to prevent Turkish Cypriot crews from constructing an unauthorised road in the UN-managed buffer zone, stretching across 120 miles in eastern Cyprus. Greek Cypriots perceive the road construction, which would connect the mixed Greek Cypriot-Turkish Cypriot village of Pyla with the village of Arsos in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot North, as a potential military maneuver in a sensitive area within the buffer zone. The purpose of the buffer zone is to prevent conflict between Turkish Cypriots in the north and Greek Cypriots in the south, where the internationally-recognised government is located.
Additional shocking footage reveals how Turkish Cypriots, some of whom were allegedly military or police officers disguised as civilians, used heavy machinery such as bulldozers, diggers, and tractors to destroy and move UN vehicles away from the planned route. The construction of the road violates the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force, which is responsible for maintaining the status quo within the buffer zone.
EU Council President Charles Michel and the bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, have both denounced the assaults and called for a de-escalation of the situation. In a joint statement, the embassies of Britain, France, and the United Nations expressed their serious concern over the road construction and condemned the attacks as "completely unacceptable," urging an immediate stop to the work.
Cyprus government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis condemned the "organised violence," stating that the government was in communication with the UN, EU, and other governments to thwart any "Turkish designs." The incident is likely to hinder the Cypriot government's efforts to resume negotiations aimed at resolving the island's division.
