Filenews 5 September 2022
Ten British soldiers, members of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, were surrounded by angry Turkish Cypriots and threatened they would "not leave the island alive", reports the British newspaper "Daily Mail", while, according to the soldiers, after a chase they were threatened with a metal pipe. and, having been able to pay for the damages, they were "misbehaving" on the beach "Glapsides", in occupied Famagusta.
Kenk Aqai, 39, the owner of water sports, told the Sun that intoxicated Britons refused to pay the damage, which he estimates at more than £4,300, explaining that they had no money. Then he was forced to call the "Police".
One of the British, however, stated in the same medium that "angry Turkish Cypriots threatened them that they would not leave the island alive".
Aqai said that "I had warned them to keep their distance on jet skis, for their own safety, but they had ignored me and were driving them like crazy. After the conflict, they refused to give me their details. Then they smiled and told me that we are in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force, you can do nothing to us. I asked them to wait, but they took their vehicle and proceeded to the crossing point. So I was forced to pursue them."
The chase
According to the British media, the two vehicles of the British chased two Turkish Cypriots by car and behind them the pseudo-police. At some point they stopped one vehicle and according to the British soldiers, they were threatened by the Turkish Cypriots with a metal pipe. Eventually the vehicles of the British managed to escape, reaching a base of UNFICYP.
However, the UN will investigate the behaviour of members of the peacekeeping force in the occupied territories. The "presidency" of the occupied territories also issued a statement on the new development.
"Following media coverage of allegations that two personnel members of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus caused damage and incidents on Famagusta Glapsides beach, Ersin Tatar ordered an immediate investigation into the matter," a statement said.
On the other hand, however, a spokesman for the British Ministry of Defence defended the soldiers, saying that "we are confident that personnel from Britain behaved responsibly in this particular incident".
