By Jean Christou
THE TURKISH Cypriot side yesterday claimed shots had been fired at troops near occupied Famagusta for the third time in a week.
However, neither the Cyprus police, the British Bases nor the UN has turned up any evidence to back the claim.
According to reports from the north, gunmen opened fire on Turkish Cypriot troops from outside Ayios Nicolaos on British bases territory.
Turkish Cypriot officials said the assailants fired two shots at troops on duty before speeding off in a vehicle at around 6.40am.
They also warned that Turkish Cypriot armed forces would defend themselves if the attacks were repeated.
“Despite all the initiatives taken with regard to the United Nations and British officials, we observe with sorrow that sufficient and effective precautions have yet to be taken to prevent Greek Cypriot attacks,” a statement from the north said.
However, Cyprus police said they had no reports of shots being fired. The British bases said they had received reports from the United Nations that shots had been fired north of the link road, but on investigation discovered nothing to support the claim.
“We were told by the UN,” bases spokesman Captain Jon Brown said.
There is no buffer zone and no UN presence on the divide between the bases and the occupied areas.
Captain Brown said it was particularly difficult to ascertain the facts if the reports stated that a moving vehicle was involved. “By the time someone gets there to investigate, a car would be long gone,” he said.
A UN spokesman said the matter was one for the British bases, but confirmed that it was peacekeepers who had passed on the reports to the bases after being informed by the Turkish Cypriot side. UN personnel had themselves heard nothing, the spokesman said.
He confirmed the alleged incident occurred at 6.40am. “There was a thunderstorm at the time, and I will say no more,” he said.
On Monday, the regime in the north called for increased security along the area dividing the bases and the occupied north after earlier reports that shots had been fired at Turkish Cypriot sentry posts in the same area.
Eight shots were fired on Christmas Eve at around half past midnight according to reports, but nothing was found by the bases police.
