**NICOSIA** – Tensions have sharply escalated along the UN-patrolled buffer zone in Cyprus following an alleged physical confrontation between Greek Cypriot farmers and members of the Turkish army and police. The incident, which occurred on Monday near the village of Mammari, saw farmers reportedly subjected to stone-throwing and physical restraint while tending to their agricultural land, prompting strong condemnation from the Republic of Cyprus and an ongoing investigation by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
The confrontation unfolded as brothers Gavriel and Yerolemos Yerolemou were engaged in their routine farming activities approximately 300 metres from a Turkish military outpost. According to Gavriel Yerolemou, the situation rapidly deteriorated when Turkish soldiers and police officers, numbering over twenty, approached their position. He recounted being physically assaulted, stating, "They were throwing stones at us, they grabbed me by the throat and tried to arrest us." His father, Yerolemos Yerolemou, described the overwhelming odds and the palpable danger, noting, "The situation was very dangerous; they were armed, and there were two of us and 20 of them. What else can you do except leave?"
Eyewitness accounts suggest that a Turkish soldier initially attempted to confiscate the keys from the farmers' parked vehicle, precipitating the ensuing altercation. A police officer reportedly made an attempt to board the elder farmer's tractor, an action that was thwarted when Yerolemos Yerolemou accelerated the vehicle to evade the officer, causing him to fall. The Turkish forces allegedly issued commands in both Turkish and English, including directives to halt and to surrender. The farmers, for their part, claim to have been armed and prepared to defend themselves.
The arrival of UNFICYP peacekeepers on the scene is understood to have de-escalated the immediate physical confrontation, with the UN force reportedly observing and documenting the proceedings. The farmers, deeply shaken by the experience, have indicated they did not return to their fields the following day and are seeking official clarification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the precise boundaries of their permissible cultivation areas, particularly as the land in question has been worked for the past decade without prior contention.
The incident has drawn a forceful response from the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, who unequivocally denounced the actions as "piratical" and expressed profound concern over the violation of the buffer zone. UNFICYP, through its spokesperson Alim Sidik, confirmed that the mission is actively investigating the matter and engaging with all relevant parties to prevent any recurrence or further escalation of hostilities.
Conversely, the Turkish Cypriot side has presented a different narrative. Ziya Öztürkler, Speaker of the Republican Assembly, characterised the farmers' presence as a "border violation" and an "attack on security forces," labelling their conduct a "provocation" and a "dangerous attitude." Öztürkler also extended criticism towards UNFICYP's perceived neutrality, suggesting it inadvertently emboldens what he termed aggressors, and accused the Greek Cypriot media of misrepresenting the events. The contrasting perspectives underscore the deeply entrenched divisions and the persistent challenges to de-escalation in the divided island's buffer zone.