U.N. Condemns Turkish Cypriots' Unauthorized Construction as Violation of Cyprus' Status Quo

The U.N. Security Council has condemned unauthorized construction by Turkish Cypriots in the U.N. buffer zone on Cyprus, calling it a violation of the status quo and contrary to council resolutions. Turkish President Erdogan criticized the U.N. peacekeepers for blocking the construction and accused them of bias against Turkish Cypriots. The Security Council called for flexibility from both sides and supported efforts by the U.N. envoy to negotiate mutually agreed development. The dispute over the construction of a road in the buffer zone has raised tensions and hampered efforts to resolve the division of Cyprus.