Foreign Ministry Reacts To Extension Of UN Peacekeeping Force’s Mandate

The Ministry said that at a time when debates over the legitimacy of the UN system are intensifying, the UN Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the Peacekeeping Force by referring solely to the unilateral consent of the so-called “Cyprus Government,” despite the lack of approval from the Turkish Cypriot side and all its objections, constitutes a serious mistake that ignores the existence and will of the Turkish Cypriot people.

The statement underlined that the only reason the Peacekeeping Force has been able to continue its activities within the borders of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to date is the good-will and constructive approach of the authorities. It recalled that sovereignty within the borders of the TRNC belongs to the Turkish Cypriot people and their state, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Noting that the Peacekeeping Force has now reached its 62nd year of presence in Cyprus, the statement said that over this period it has become the de facto protector of a status quo that is accepted by all parties as unsustainable. It added that the Peacekeeping Force has failed to fulfil its fundamental responsibilities of neutrality and fair treatment of issues, and has not shown the necessary diligence in doing so.

The Foreign Ministry’s full statement on the UN Security Council decision to extend the mandate of the Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus reads as follows:

“The UN Security Council Resolution S/RES/2815 (2026), adopted on 30 January 2026, extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for one year until 31 January 2027.

At a time when discussions on the legitimacy of the UN system are increasing, the Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the Peacekeeping Force by referring to the unilateral consent of the so-called ‘Cyprus Government,’ without the approval of the Turkish Cypriot side and despite all our objections, is a serious mistake that disregards the existence and will of the Turkish Cypriot people. The only basis on which the Peacekeeping Force has been able to continue its activities within the borders of the TRNC to this day is the good-will and constructive attitude of our authorities. Sovereignty within the borders of the TRNC belongs to the Turkish Cypriot people and their state, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In this context, establishing a legitimate legal basis for the Peacekeeping Force’s activities within the borders of the TRNC with the consent of the Turkish Cypriot side is an unavoidable necessity that can no longer be postponed.

The Peacekeeping Force, established by UN Security Council Resolution 186 of 4 March 1964, has now reached its 62nd year of presence in Cyprus. Over this period, the Force has become the de facto guardian of a status quo that is accepted by all parties as unsustainable. It has failed to fulfil its fundamental responsibilities of neutrality and fairness, and has not demonstrated the required care in this regard.

The UN continues this term its practice of deliberately leaving the perpetrator ambiguous in paragraphs of Security Council resolutions and reports concerning the activities of the Greek Cypriot side. Despite the clear facts on the ground and the information recorded within the UN system, the failure to explicitly identify responsibility reinforces the view that the obligations of the Greek Cypriot side are systematically rendered invisible and constitutes further examples of conduct incompatible with the UN’s principle of neutrality. This approach not only undermines factual accuracy but also fuels the intransigent stance of the Greek Cypriot side.

The Greek Cypriot administration, which claims to be the sole owner of the island, aims to extend its hegemonic attitude into the buffer zone and beyond. The UN refrains from clearly revealing recent developments on the ground and the buffer zone and border violations committed by the Greek Cypriot side, and continues its biased approach on many issues, including Varosha, confidence-building measures, technical committees, Akyar, and the Yiğitler–Pile road. Instead of seeking a fair, permanent and sustainable agreement with the Turkish Cypriots, the Greek Cypriot side’s efforts to advance its hegemonic ambitions over the entire island are a direct result of this unjust treatment that emboldens the Greek Cypriots and is reflected in many UN actions. While the constructive attitude and concrete proposals of the Turkish side are ignored by the UN, covering up the true sources of the fundamental problems with vague expressions is unacceptable.

Under these circumstances, the insistence in the UN Security Council decision on a long-discredited and outdated model such as a ‘bi-communal, bi-zonal federation,’ which has never been genuinely accepted by the Greek Cypriot side, and the presentation of endless negotiations as if they offer a way out—effectively condemning the Turkish Cypriots to an unacceptable status quo—constitutes a grave injustice and a profound disrespect to the Turkish Cypriot people.

Today, the only realistic solution on the island lies in the development of good-neighbourly relations between the two existing states on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status. At this stage, in order to ensure a lasting environment of cooperation and stability on the island, members of the UN Security Council must review their obsolete resolutions and adopt a new approach based on the existence of two peoples and two states with separate sovereign wills within their own borders.

Like other decisions that unlawfully treat the Greek Cypriot side as a ‘state,’ fail to uphold the principle of neutrality, and extend the mandate of the Peacekeeping Force, the latest decision of the UN Security Council is unacceptable.”