ISTANBUL: Tensions between Turkey and the United Nations have escalated over a recent dispute involving UN peacekeepers in the divided island of Cyprus. The UN Security Council’s statement, blaming the turmoil on the breakaway Turkish-backed government, has triggered a war of words between Ankara and international authorities, adding another layer of complexity to Turkey’s efforts to strengthen its ties with the European Union (EU).
The incident in question occurred last Friday when UN peacekeepers attempted to obstruct the construction of a road in the buffer zone dividing the ethnically divided island. Both sides acknowledge that the altercation led to injuries among the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). The European Union and the United States swiftly pointed fingers at the Turkish-backed administration for initiating the confrontation.
However, Turkey vehemently contested these claims. The Turkish foreign ministry issued a statement denouncing the UN Security Council’s assertion as “completely divorced from the realities on the ground.” Turkey maintained that proper notification of the road construction had been given in advance and that the tension arose due to the UNFICYP soldiers’ physical intervention.
Challenges to Turkey in its Bid to Join EU
The incident has exacerbated long-standing tensions in the region and highlighted the intricate challenges Turkey faces in its bid to join the European Union. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been working towards improving relations with Western allies since his re-election in May, now finds himself confronting a fresh diplomatic hurdle.
This episode is among the most serious disturbances in Cyprus in recent years. Turkish Cypriot officials have entered into discussions with local UN envoys, and construction in the disputed zone has been temporarily suspended. However, both the Turkish Cypriot government and Ankara assert that the road was legally sanctioned and critical for connecting Turkish Cypriot communities. They contend that the UN has overlooked similar road constructions connecting Greek Cypriot communities.
The ongoing Cyprus dispute has been a roadblock in Turkey’s path towards closer EU ties. The EU’s re-engagement with Turkey has been contingent on the resolution of the Cyprus issue in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed the significance of Turkey’s accession to the EU, emphasizing that it could bolster the EU’s global standing. Fidan urged Brussels to reconsider their stance on membership.
![NEW YORK: Pakistan's former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, leading Pakistan’s high-level parliamentary delegation, on Tuesday warned that India's aggressive actions pose a serious threat to peace in South Asia and urged the international community to take note of India's aggressive conduct. Bilawal was addressing a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York on recent regional developments after the military conflict between India and Pakistan. The Pakistani delegation is in New York to present Pakistan’s stance on the military escalation with India and to challenge New Delhi’s narrative at the global level. The visit is part of Pakistan’s sustained diplomatic outreach to brief key UN stakeholders on the alarming regional situation. The Pakistani delegation is also scheduled to arrive in Washington today, where it plans to engage with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, other senior officials, lawmakers, and think tanks till June 6. The team will also visit London and Brussels. Speaking at the press conference, Bilawal said that he wanted to use the opportunity to share Pakistan’s perspective on the recent military conflict with India in the wake of the Pahalgam attack and the way forward. Bilawal said that the “illegal strikes” launched by India as part of its ‘Operation Sindoor’ were “in violation of the UN Charter, international law”. He said the attacks had targeted civilian infrastructure, places of worship, energy infrastructure and innocent women and children. He said India had used the April 22 terrorist attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s (IIOJK) Pahalgam as a pretext to launch the attack inside Pakistan. Following the Pahalgam incident, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered publicly to India that Pakistan was ready to be part of any impartial international investigation into this attack. “We did so because we were confident, our hands were clean and we had nothing to do with this terrorist attack. “We expressed our sympathy with the victims of terrorism and Pakistan has consistently and unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he said, adding that PM Sharif had immediately expressed Pakistan’s willingness to India and the global community to be part of any impartial international investigation. “Indian government refused Pakistan's offer and chose instead to conduct their illegal strikes. Pakistan only then acted in self-defence, we never initiated any violence against India,” Bilawal said. Bilawal emphasised that Pakistan never initiated hostilities against India but responded to Indian aggression by downing six Indian fighter jets. "The Pakistani military had responded with precision the night of the first Indian attack and only targeted and downed six planes because we believed those were the ones to release their load on Pakistan”. He stated that US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio played a vital role in achieving a ceasefire during heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours. “We’ve seen during the course of this conflict how quickly the escalation ladder between our two countries rose and the concern is that the next time there is such an incident, there may not be time for the international community to intervene before things get a lot worse. That is why it is absolutely important for Pakistan and the international community to continue to pursue dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path to peace.” He said Pakistan’s position was to hold a “comprehensive dialogue” with India that would include the issue of terrorism as well. The head of the Pakistani delegation said that no civilized nation can support the use of water as a weapon and urged the international community to play its part, questioning, "What would be the global reaction if someone’s lifeline was cut off?" He stressed that Pakistan has paid a heavy price in the fight against terrorism and has suffered the most. “The single largest number of terrorist attacks that take place in any one country is Pakistan. The single largest number of victims of terrorism is Pakistan. I myself have suffered at the hands of terrorists. My mother [Benazir Bhutto] was assassinated by the terrorists.” Bilawal also criticised India for targeting water reservoirs and civilian areas, including mosques, during its attacks. Calling negotiations the only path to peace, Bilawal reiterated that the unresolved Kashmir dispute remains the root cause of regional instability. He urged the global community to take notice of India’s aggressive conduct.](https://wenewsenglish.com/storage/2025/06/Bilawal-Bhutto-Zardari-300x180.jpg)
