UNFICYP says it knows nothing of new Turkish landmines

UNFICYP said yesterday it had no information that the Turkish side was planting landmines at a time when the UN was discussing demining with both sides.

A spokesman at UNIFYCYP was responding to reports that the Defence Ministry was looking into information from the House Defence Committee that the Turkish side was replacing anti-personnel mines with anti-tank mines in a bid to sidestep the Ottawa Antipersonnel Mine Ban Convention.
In June this year, a delegation from the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) arrived in Cyprus and proposed the creation of a demining unit within UNFICYP headed by a Technical Advisor reporting to the Chief of Mission. The adviser arrived on October 14.

“According to the demining division there have been very productive discussions on both sides,” an UNFICYP spokesman said yesterday.
“We have no information regarding the reports that the Turkish side is planting landmines. This is new for us”.

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash agreed several months ago to allow mines in the Nicosia Green Line area to be removed.

Defence Minister Kyriacos Mavronicolas said on Monday that so far there had not been any response from the Turkish side to the initiative.

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