ISTANBUL

Türkiye on Monday welcomed an agreement between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus regarding the construction of the Yigitler-Pile road. 

“The construction of the Yigitler-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 Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“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,” it added.

TRNC’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that an agreement between the TRNC and the UN Peacekeeping Force was reached regarding the construction of the Yigitler-Pile road.

On Aug. 18, UN peacekeepers intervened in the road construction work to connect the Turkish Cypriot village of Pile in the island’s buffer zone with the rest of the TRNC.

The roadwork is strategically important for residents, as it will give them more options to reach Pile, where Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots live together.

The Greek Cypriot administration, however, is opposed to the project.