UN to keep peacekeepers in Cyprus, push for reunification

A UN guard post in the UN buffer zone behind the barbed wire that divides the Greek and Turkish Cypriot areas, with the venice wall, right, and the Turkish Cypriot breakaway northern part of the divided capital Nicosia in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. (Source: AP)

The Security Council has voted unanimously to keep the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus for another six months and is urging Greek and Turkish Cypriots “to grasp the current opportunity” to reunite the divided Mediterranean island. The resolution adopted Thursday by the UN’s most powerful body welcomes progress in recent negotiations led by leaders from the rival communities and encourages the two sides to intensify efforts to resolve key outstanding
issues.

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Cyprus was split into a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup by Cypriot supporters of union with Greece. Turkish Cypriots declared an independent state in 1983, but only Turkey recognizes it and keeps 35,000 troops there.

The Security Council stressed that “the status quo is unsustainable.”