President Tatar issues message in remembrance of Taşkent martyrs
15 August, 202335th Samsung Boğaziçi Intercontinental Swimming Race won by Doğukan Ulaç from TRNC
21 August, 2023
- The Pile – Yiğitler road project has been prepared with the entirely humanitarian objective of providing ease of access of our citizens living in the village of Pile to the TRNC.
- The said project, which envisages expanding and enhancing the existing Pile – Yiğitler road, has been prepared with the aim of enabling the people of Pile to easily reach their lands; to improve the economic circumstances of its residents; and to enable access to Pile without dependency on the Sovereign British Bases (SBA). As is known, the Greek Cypriots living in Pile are able to freely travel to and from the Greek Cypriot administration without being subject to any customs control or any restrictive measures by the SBA authorities.
- Despite the constructive attitude of the Turkish Cypriot side regarding the Pile – Yiğitler road project, which has a history exceeding 25 years, and all the calls made to this effect, there have been no steps taken to facilitate the daily lives of our citizens living in Pile, and our goodwill has not been reciprocated. Therefore, the Turkish Cypriot side, which is an equal co-owner of the Island, has decided to start the necessary works for the completion of the Pile – Yiğitler Road.
- In 1996, during the construction of the Larnaca – Dikhelia – Ayia Napa road, despite the lack of permission by the Turkish Cypriot side, the Greek Cypriot administration monopolized the Pile-section of the said road, passed it through land with Turkish title-deeds, and subsequently expropriated these lands in a systematic manner. A portion of the said road passes through the buffer zone.
- Moreover, the Pile – Oroklini road which was constructed by the Greek Cypriot side in 2004 also passes through the buffer zone.
- The fact that the university constructed in Pile in 2012 is expanded every year, as well as the continuing operation of the open-air cinema built to the south of the Derinya crossing point in 2020, are blatant proof that the violations of the Greek Cypriot side in the buffer zone are not limited solely to road works.
- We have repeatedly brought to the attention of UNFICYP the humanitarian dimension of the Pile – Yiğitler road, however consultations on this subject which continued to this day, have not produced any result. It should be also noted that UNFICYP has remained silent in the face of the various violations committed by the Greek Cypriot side in the buffer zone, including the construction of roads. We expect UNFICYP, which maintains its presence and activities on the island due to the goodwill of the Turkish Cypriot side, to adopt a constructive and cooperative attitude in this regard.
- The total length of the Pile – Yiğitler road is 11.6 kilometers. The first 7.5 kilometer stretch falls within the borders of the Yiğitler village, whereby the remaining 4.1 kilometer portion falls within the borders of Pile. This project envisages the road to be comprised of 2 lanes (a single lane in each direction).
- We believe that the implementation of this humanitarian project will contribute to the beginning of a new phase in Cyprus, which respects the inherent rights of both sides and is open to cooperation on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status.
