THE Cyprus government made the right move in deciding against opening the Ledra Street crossing, according to the Defense Minister Koulis Mavronikolas, who claimed yesterday that the Turkish forces had encroached into the buffer zone to usurp land.
On Sunday, the government announced that they would not open the Ledra crossing because of the alleged encroachment. Despite the announcement, the Turkish Cypriot side has continued unabated on the Ledra crossing construction.
“I have the feeling that the decision of the government was very correct not to allow the opening of the crossing since the occupying army appears to be encroaching into the buffer zone,” Mavronikolas said to reporters in front of the Ledra lookout, adding that it appears that the “occupying forces are trying to usurp half of the buffer zone”.
The Defense Minister claimed that the Turkish Cypriot side had not accepted many of the crossings that the Greek Cypriot side proposed.
“Yet we continue in good will to open those crossings that the occupying army proposes,” Mavronikolas said. “In no case, however, can we accept any crossings that will allow the occupying army to usurp land of the Cyprus Republic.”
Mavronikolas said the Cyprus government had notified the UN, which in his view could pressure the Turkish authorities to withdraw, especially now that Turkey is seeking admission into the EU. “We don’t live in times where Turkey or the occupying army can take action without answering to anyone.”
The Defense Minister said that the width of the buffer zone at Ledra was around 50 metres and that the 1974 cease-fire line was at Ermou Street, adding that “the occupying army has made violations south of Ermou Street.”
Responding to questions as to why the other side is building a bridge, Mavronikolas said that the bridge “gives them certain advantages from a military standpoint”, noting that it gives them “leverage to inspect Ermou Street.”
The bridge, which is no longer than the width of a road, more resembles a checkpoint or the concrete poolside unit used for platform diving.
Foreign Minister George Iacovou told state television yesterday that the building of the bridge was so that the Turkish military could patrol the area underneath.
The President also commented on the bridge, speaking from Ireland where he was on an official visit: “They want to build a bridge so that they can continue their violations under it.”
All the parties – from the Greens to AKEL to opposition DISY – sided with the government in condemning the Turkish side for the encroachment.
But UN Spokesman Brian Kelly said yesterday that the Turkish Cypriot construction, though unilateral, was nonetheless in their view “outside of the buffer zone”.
Kelly also said that that it was not enough for the two sides merely to agree on opening the crossing, just as it would not be enough, as he said, for two people to build a door on each side of a building and say it was finished without having built any floor.
