Footage reveals brutal brawl after British peacekeepers were attacked by Turkish Cypriots who had bulldozed UN vehicles out of the way during unauthorised construction work on the divided island
- Video shows British UN peacekeepers being beaten by Turkish Cypriots in brawl
- Greek Cypriots perceive the road construction as a move with a military purpose
- UN peacekeepers are tasked with monitoring the buffer zone to prevent clashes
Shocking video footage shows British peacekeepers being beaten and shoved in a brutal brawl by Turkish Cypriots who had bulldozed UN vehicles out of the way during unauthorised construction work in ethnically-divided Cyprus.
Dramatic video shows the British soldiers being punched in the head, kicked to the ground and shoved by the mob of Turkish Cypriots in a violent scene.
As the peacekeepers try and move backwards with their hands raised in an effort to protect themselves, they are met with blows to their heads and bodies. The attack left three British soldiers needing medical attention in hospital, one for a broken nose.
The attack occurred on Friday when peacekeepers parked cars and linked arms to prevent Turkish Cypriot crews from building an unauthorised road through a UN-managed buffer zone in eastern Cyprus, which runs for 120 miles.
Greek Cypriots perceive the road construction, which would link the mixed Greek Cypriot-Turkish Cypriot village of Pyla with the village of Arsos in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot North, as a move with a military purpose at a sensitive spot along the buffer zone.
The road would scythe through the zone, which aims to prevent conflict between Turkish Cypriots in the north and Greek Cypriots in the south where the internationally-recognised government is based.
Further shocking footage showed how Turkish Cypriots – some of whom were allegedly military or police officers in plain clothes – used bulldozers, diggers and tractors to smash and drag UN vehicles away from the planned route.
Shocking video footage shows British UN peacekeepers being beaten and shoved in a brutal brawl by Turkish Cypriots who had bulldozed UN vehicles out of the way during unauthorised construction work in ethnically divided Cyprus
Dramatic video shows the British soldiers being punched in the head, kicked to the ground and shoved by the angry mob of Turkish Cypriots in a horrifically violent scene
As the peacekeepers try and draw backwards with their hands raised in an effort to protect themselves, they are met with more blows to their heads and bodies
Others were seen punching and shoving the peacekeepers, who attempted to hold building crews back, but did not retaliate with force. One soldier can be seen bending over with his hands on his knees and appearing to spit blood from his mouth after being hit by a man in the crowd.
‘One was kicked to the ground,’ UN spokesperson Aleem Siddique said, adding that no shots were fired.
Several of the vehicles battered away by the heavy machinery were left completely undriveable.
Some two dozen Turkish Cypriots were said to have been involved in the incident, outnumbering the small group of UN peacekeepers, the Cyprus Mail reported.
The violence constitutes a serious escalation of tensions not seen on the island in years.
‘Threats to the safety of UN peacekeepers and damage to UN property are unacceptable and constitute a serious crime under international law which will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,’ the peacekeeping force, known as UNFICYP, said in a statement.
UNFICYP spokesman Aleem Siddique said the UN won’t back down from continuing to ‘block or frustrate construction of the road by non-violent means.’
One soldier can be seen bending over with his hands on his knees and appearing to spit blood from his mouth after being hit by a man in the crowd
Shocking video footage showed how Turkish Cypriots – some of whom were allegedly military or police officers in plain clothes – used bulldozers, diggers and tractors to smash and drag UN vehicles away
Others were seen punching and shoving the peacekeepers, who attempted to hold building crews back, but did not retaliate with force
The attack occurred when peacekeepers parked their cars and linked arms to prevent crews from building a road through UN controlled territory
UN vehicles are removed from the route by bulldozers
The attack occurred when peacekeepers parked their cars and linked arms to prevent crews from building a road linking the village of Arsos in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north with the mixed Greek Cypriot-Turkish Cypriot village of Pyla
He said construction of the road would violate the force’s mandate of maintaining the status quo inside the buffer zone.
Meanwhile, EU Council President Charles Michel and the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, both condemned the assaults and urged a de-escalation of the situation.
The embassies of the UK, France and the United Nations also issued a joint statement expressing ‘serious concern’ over construction of the road and condemned the assaults as ‘completely unacceptable’, while urging for an immediate halt to the work.
‘We call upon the Turkish Cypriot authorities to refrain from any further escalatory actions that risk undermining prospects for a return to settlement talks, and to immediately cease any form of violence against the UN peacekeepers deployed to the area’, they said.
Cyprus government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis condemned what he called the ‘organised violence,’ adding that the government was in touch with the UN, the EU and other governments to prevent ‘Turkish designs’.
The situation is likely to hamper the Cypriot government’s efforts to restart negotiations to resolve the island’s division.
Several of the vehicles battered away by the heavy machinery were left completely undriveable
The island was divided by a UN-controlled buffer zone after Turkey invaded in 1974 following a coup by a Greek junta to reunite the island with Greece
Maintaining the status quo of the buffer zone is enshrined in the UN mission’s mandate since 1974, when Turkey invaded after the Greek junta in Cyprus staged a military coup, aiming to unite the island with Greece.
Fearing the elimination of the Turkish Cypriot minority’s rights and security, Turkey intervened on July 20, 1974, with a military operation codenamed Operation Attila.
The Turkish invasion led to a rapid occupation of the northern part of Cyprus, as violent clashes displaced thousands of people before a ceasefire was eventually brokered.
Since then, the island has been divided into a Turkish-controlled north and a Greek-controlled south, with a United Nations buffer zone established between them to maintain the peace.
In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) declared independence, although it is only recognised by Turkey.
The southern Republic of Cyprus meanwhile is recognised internationally, but the government only has control over the Greek majority area of the island south of the UN buffer zone.
The buffer zone, known as the Green Line, remains a stark reminder of the division, separating the two sides and restricting movement between them.
And despite some interactions and initiatives to build trust, the division has led to a deeply entrenched separation of communities, with limited economic, social, and political co-operation between the north and south.
The UN says there have been numerous infringements of the buffer zone by both sides over the years.
But the latest attempt by Turkish Cypriots to construct a road through the buffer zone is seen by the Cypriot government as ‘an attempt at a very serious violation of the status quo’.
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