WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued this statement after Turkish Cypriot security forces attacked UN Peacekeepers in Pyla.
“I strongly condemn the attacks on UN peacekeeping forces and their property in Pyla. Attacking UN personnel is unacceptable and criminal under international law. UN peacekeepers play a critical role in helping promote calm and stability.
“Turkish Cypriot forces must immediately take responsibility and stop any further escalatory actions that risk not only the lives of UN peacekeepers but also of overall stability on the island. They must further halt any unauthorized construction in the area aimed at undermining the peacekeeping mission and the agreed-upon buffer zone.
“These antagonizing actions only serve to promote instability and violence. I also strongly urge the UN Secretary General to appoint an envoy to help reinvigorate negotiations to find a long-term settlement.”
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