Turkey’s President and leader of the Justice and Development (AK) Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during his partys group meeting at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) in Ankara, on May 18, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused United Nations peacekeepers of inciting violence in an incident where members of the UN mission were assaulted on the island of Cyprus.

Erdogan criticized the UN forces for entering what he considers Turkish Cypriot territory and interfering with road work. He voiced his concerns that preventing Turkish Cypriots from accessing their homeland is both unlawful and inhumane.

It is worth noting that the timing of this incident coincides with Erdogan's efforts to strengthen relations with the European Union. Recently, he agreed to Sweden's entry into the NATO defense alliance, and in return, received a commitment from the EU to resume Turkey's long-paused accession discussions.

However, European officials have linked talks on closer ties with Turkey to the resolution of the longstanding Cyprus debacle.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell emphasized last month that resolving the Cyprus issue based on relevant United Nations resolutions will play a crucial role in re-engaging with Turkey.

A flashback

Turkish Cypriot forces reportedly assaulted United Nations peacekeepers last Friday as they tried to prevent the construction of a contentious road within the buffer zone that separates Cyprus, according to a statement from the UN mission on the island.

The confrontation took place in Pyla, a village situated in the UN-patrolled Green Line, which acts as a dividing boundary between the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and a self-declared Turkish Cypriot state in the northern region.