We welcome the understanding reached between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus on the construction of the Yiğitler-Pile road. We fully support the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the TRNC on this issue.

The construction of the Yiğitler-Pile road, a humanitarian project, has been on the agenda for decades to facilitate direct access for TRNC citizens living in the mixed village of Pile in the buffer zone to their own homeland. The understanding on the construction of the road is yet another example of the constructive attitude that the TRNC side has always displayed. The TRNC’s approach is also indicative of the contribution that the Turkish side will make to the success of the only realistic settlement model based on the cooperation of the two states on the Island.

As the TRNC authorities have also emphasized, any projects that may be planned or implemented in the area of Pile within the framework of the understanding, as well as in the entire buffer zone, should be subject to the approval of the Turkish Cypriots. Our country will continue to pursue this issue in close coordination with the TRNC.