Incident in the UN buffer zone near Avlona village

On Sunday, April 19, at approximately 11:00, a Turkish farmer entered the UN buffer zone near the village of Avlona using a tractor and a mower. The individual attempted to cultivate land or harvest hay in an area designated as 'frozen' by the United Nations, which prohibits all agricultural activity, including by legal landowners. UNFICYP forces intervened immediately and successfully removed the individual after one hour of negotiations. There are conflicting reports regarding land ownership, with some sources claiming the land belongs to a Greek Cypriot, while others state the farmer is the legal owner of the plots in question. Regardless of ownership, the UN status of the land precludes any activity. The community leader of Avlona, Menelaos Savva, stated that this is a recurring issue involving multiple individuals and expressed concern that similar incidents will continue to occur in the future.