MERSIN, Turkey 

The fresh water supply from Turkey to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has suffered a disruption, Turkey’s agriculture and forestry minister said on Saturday. 

Bekir Pakdemirli told reporters in Turkey’s southern Mersin province that the Turkey-TRNC water pipeline didn’t break and that the reason for the disruption has yet to be ascertained.

Noting that the incident took place on late Wednesday, Pakdemirli said the TRNC has water stocks for eight to 10 months.

“I gave instructions to resolve this issue in a month. There is currently no water problem in the TRNC,” he stressed.

He inspected the water pipeline in the Anamur district of Mersin via helicopter.

In 1974, following a coup aiming at annexation of Cyprus by Greece, Ankara had to intervene as a guarantor power. In 1983, the TRNC was founded.

The decades since have seen several attempts to resolve the Cyprus dispute, all ending in failure. The latest, held with the participation of the guarantor countries -- Turkey, Greece, and the U.K. -- came to an end without any progress in 2017 in Switzerland.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar