Greek-American Congressman John Sarbanis believes that Erdogan is responsible for the attack against UN peacekeepers in Pyla and has asked US President Joe Biden to ensure that the crisis is "meaningfully addressed by the UN Secretary General and the UN Security Council." 'I hold Turkish President Erdogan accountable for this assault and consider it part of the pattern of provocation and destabilizing conduct that, among other things, argues against sending F-16s to Turkey," Sarbanis said in a statement. "Cypriots have lived with the looming shadow of Turkish occupation for 49 years. While Cypriot leaders and the European Union have urged a peaceful reunification of the island, Turkish Cypriot authorities and Turkish President Erdogan have made it clear through continuing rounds of escalatory behavior their intent to subvert peace negotiations,' he added. The Congressman continues noting that the Turkish Cypriots' attempted construction of a road from Turkish-occupied Cyprus into Pyla "is a jarring escalation of tensions in the area and blatantly violates long standing international agreements designed to protect Cyprus from exactly this kind of aggression." He describes the attack "by Turkish Cypriot forces as an unabashed assault, which warrants the international condemnation" and welcomes the statements issued by the British High Commission, the French Embassy and the US Embassy in Cyprus. "I urge President Biden to use the United States' good offices at the United Nations to ensure the crisis in Pyla is meaningfully addressed by the UN Secretary General and the UN Security Council," concludes the statement of the Greek-American member of parliament. Members of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) were attacked on Friday morning while blocking unauthorised construction works by the Turkish Cypriot puppet regime inside the buffer zone near Pyla. The government of Cyprus, the UN and various countries have condemned the incident. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
