US says Papadadopoulos statements on Ledra “misleading”

The US Embassy in Cyprus has issued a statement by Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos “misleading” and emphasised that the US does not have the authority to decide about whether the buffer zone has been encroached.

“In his recent statements, President Papadopoulos has implied that the United States — alone among permanent members of the Security Council — has refused to condemn construction activities near the proposed Ledra Street crossing as an encroachment of the buffer zone, “ said the statement.

“That statement is misleading. It is UNFICYP, rather than the United States or other Security Council member states, which has the authority to determine whether either side has encroached on the buffer zone or otherwise violated the terms of the cease fire. We support UNFICYP in its authority to administer the buffer zone and underscore the importance of maintaining UN leadership on the Cyprus issue.”

Last week the Turkish Cypriots began dismantling a barrier that divides downtown Nicosia. Although both sides had agreed in principle to open the new checkpoint, the Greek Cypriot leadership withdrew its consent this week, because it said that the Turkish army was encroaching on the UN-monitored buffer zone.

The government has since been embarrassed, however, as the UN has since issued a statement saying that there is no encroachment of the buffer zone.

The US statement also implies that it is up to UNFICYP and not the Republic of Cyprus government to make the decision.