Defence minister downplays claims of buffer zone tensions

Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said on Wednesday that statements by outgoing Unficyp Military Chief of Staff Col. Ben Ramsay regarding the situation in the buffer zone were “a bit exaggerated.”

In an interview with the Associated Press, Ramsay mentioned that Unficyp had observed the deployment of large-calibre weapons at guard posts, such as machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, the construction of hundreds of new fighting positions, and the installation of dozens of high-tech cameras with infrared capability that could assist with artillery and missile targeting systems.

Responding to Ramsay on Wednesday, Palmas told CyBC that the Republic is “maintaining its sovereignty” and that its forces are always in a defensive mode, not an attack mode. Palmas also downplayed the claims of infringements by the Greek Cypriot side in the buffer zone, stating that the UN is impartial and has acknowledged violations by both sides.

Ramsay had said, “No one’s listening. A miscalculation is a matter of time.”

Infringements have become more frequent in the buffer zone over the past year, with the Greek Cypriot side consistently reporting several violations by the Turkish Cypriot side.

However, in a recent UN report on the buffer zone, Secretary-General said Unficyp had observed 303 military violations, almost equally divided between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot forces. These violations included serious breaches that challenge Unficyp’s authority in the buffer zone and along the ceasefire lines.

The Secretary-General described the actions as reflective of a rapid military buildup, with both the Greek Cypriot National Guard and Turkish forces seeking to gain a strategic advantage in the buffer zone. Among the main concerns raised by Guterres was the installation of advanced surveillance technology along the southern ceasefire line, which he said, “continued unabated.”