President promises action over Turkish plane in buffer zone

Cyprus is taking specific actions in relation to the illegal flight of a Turkish aircraft over Deneia, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Friday.

The incident concerns the illegal activity of the Turkish air force which appeared to record data in relation to the buffer zone on Thursday afternoon, the president told reporters in Larnaca.

“We have before us slowly all the data and the foreign ministry will take the actions it has taken in the past for the same incidents,” he said.

Actions will also be taken towards the United Nations in particular and the EU, the president said.

Unficyp, the UN peace keeping force in Cyprus, is in contact with the foreign ministry and “is investigating this incident,” Unficyp spokesperson Aleem Sidique told the Cyprus News Agency.

Asked if he is concerned by this activity, Christodoulides said “I am concerned every day about all the data. I am here to be concerned and to take actions.”

He added that, particularly at the present juncture, the illegal flight “can in no way be described as something that leaves us indifferent. And that is why I said we will take concrete actions.”

The location of the Turkish plane’s fly-by was revealed by the community leader of Deneia the previous day, followed by a relevant announcement by the foreign ministry.

Head of the Deneia local council Christakis Panayiotou told CNA on Thursday that the Turkish military plane was flying over the buffer zone of the community in circles for about an hour.

More seriously, he added, the plane circled the village five to six times before finally heading north.

It was the first time such an incident has occurred in the area, he said, adding that residents were alarmed.

Panayiotou said he informed the foreign ministry, the National Guard and Unficyp about the incident.

Deneia is a village in the Nicosia district. It is one of only four villages located within the buffer zone.