The control that has been carried out along the green line for the last three years has been upgraded and the means at our disposal are modern and technologically sound, sources with knowledge of the matter told KYPE.
The control is carried out by the Ministry of Defense and the Police, through the GEEF, and there is close cooperation with special liaisons in UNFICYP if the need arises.
"We have at our disposal various audiovisual media, cameras and other means at specific points and the surveillance is continuous and on a 24-hour basis. The National Guard has specific instructions and the cooperation with UNFICYP is constant and close and when anything is detected, the liaisons communicate with each other for further action and the way to act," the same sources said.
It was explained that through cameras installed in the last three years, the National Guard supervises and if there is suspicious movement, the Police is informed. It is recalled that the barbed wire that had been laid in the past has been completely removed except in places where the morphology of the ground does not allow it (cavities, etc.).
The same sources explained that Pyla is considered a special regime as it is controlled by the UN and there is no entry and exit guard or barricade. Also, some other areas, possibly due to morphology, are considered problematic and cannot be controlled in their entirety, such as in Avlona.
"We have been upgraded and the control is trying to be effective and immediate. Many things are not advertised for obvious reasons," they explained.
The role of UNFICYP in the buffer zone
The line of confrontation, the so-called green line, stretches for about 180 km. all over the island. In some parts of old Nicosia it is only a few meters wide, while in other areas it is a few kilometers wide.
The Green Line was first created on 30 December 1963. It was called the "Green Line" because the then commander of the British forces in Cyprus, General Young, drew it with a green pencil on the map.
At that time it did not extend to the whole island, it existed only in Nicosia and later where there were Turkish Cypriot enclaves. Since March 1964, when UN soldiers arrived on the island, it has been entrusted to them. It expanded greatly after Turkey's invasion of Cyprus in 1974.
As stated on the UNFICYP website with data and information and update in November and December 2025, in the eastern part of the island, the line is interrupted from the area of the British Bases of Dhekelia, where UNFICYP is not active.
Another area not controlled by the UN is Varosha, which is now under the control of the Turkish occupying army.
Many parts of the line of confrontation are cultivated and/or inhabited. There are several villages or special areas within the buffer zone, where more than 10,000 people live and/or work. Citizens can enter these areas freely. In other parts of the buffer zone, the movement or activity of citizens requires special permission from UNFICYP.
Pyla, in the eastern area of the buffer zone, is the only village inhabited by Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
In other areas there are ruins of old villages, shops and other memories of life once in the buffer zone. It is worth noting that the buffer zone is considered a paradise for flora and fauna, thriving almost in the absence of hunters and most other human interventions.
What UNFICYP does – Headings 1, 2 and 4
As stated on its website, UNFICYP is constantly monitoring the buffer zone with vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle and helicopter patrols. In addition, there is a dedicated unit ready to respond to emergencies within the buffer zone. About 1,000 incidents occur within the buffer zone each year.
At the moment about 802 soldiers serve on rotation in the peacekeeping force, and most come from countries such as Argentina, the United Kingdom, Slovakia and Hungary.
The military presence spans three sectors, Sectors 1, 2 and 4. Sector 3 ceased to exist when Canada withdrew from the peacekeeping force in 1993 and Sectors 2 and 4 took over the region.
Following a review and reduction of troops in 2004, peacekeeping troops no longer man every point on a permanent basis. Instead, they patrol the buffer zone on foot and by helicopter, by vehicle and bicycle.
In addition, there are 4 central units, stationed in the United Nations Protected Area.
The aircraft include a helicopter unit under Argentine command, which provides 24-hour surveillance along the buffer zone and emergency assistance. The administration operates three helicopters from Nicosia International Airport.
The Force Engineering Unit provides mechanical support to UNFICYP.
Sector One
Sector One covers a distance of approximately 90 km from the village of Kokkina on the west coast of Cyprus to the village of Mammari, west of Nicosia.
It has been under the responsibility of the Argentine Mission since 16 October 1993. The shipment rotates more or less completely every six months. The Headquarters and Command Company of Sector One are located in the San Martín camp, which is located near the village of Skouriotissa. The Support Company is located in Camp Roca, near Xeros in the north.
Sector Two
This area has been the responsibility of the British Armed Forces since 1993, when the Canadian Armed Forces withdrew its main unit.
The unit's responsibility is to patrol and monitor military activity over a distance of more than 30 kilometers along the buffer zone, starting from the eastern end of the village of Mammari and ending in Kaimakli, east of Nicosia.
The Sector Headquarters is located in Wolseley Barracks, within the buffer zone near the western edge of the Venetian Walls. The troops are stationed at the Ledra Palace Hotel. A company is on the ceasefire lines and patrols the buffer zone in this area.
Sector Four
Since 2018, Sector Four has been the responsibility of the Slovak Armed Forces.
The unit's responsibility is to patrol and monitor military activity over a distance of 65 kilometers along the buffer zone, starting from the eastern end of Kaimakli and ending in the village of Deryneia, on the east coast of the island.
The British Base near Dhekelia extends between two points of the buffer zone of the village of Pyla and the village of Strovilia, and is outside the area of responsibility of the mission.
A company is deployed along both ceasefire lines of the buffer zone of this sector. In addition, a platoon is based in Athienou, with responsibility for the western half of the Sector. A second platoon is based in Deryneia, with responsibility for the eastern half, including the abandoned city of Varosha.
A third platoon is based in Pyla with the task of monitoring the military activity in the mixed village.
The action of UNPOL
The United Nations Police (UNPOL) has been part of the peacekeeping force since 14 April 1964. UNPOL contributes to the maintenance and restoration of law and order in the buffer zone and cooperates with UNFICYP's military and civilian affairs on civilian activity in the buffer zone, humanitarian issues and more.
It consists of 69 police officers from sixteen countries and civilian support personnel.
UNPOL officers are based in the United Nations Protected Area and eight other locations across the island, within or near the buffer zone. UNPOL has no powers of arrest or detention.
Crossing points
Since April 2003, several crossing points have been opened on the island. Specifically, two in the area of the British Bases in Pergamos and Strovilia, three in Nicosia in Agios Dimitrios/Metehan, Ledra Palace and Ledra Street and one west of Nicosia in Astromeritis/Zodia, and at the western end of the island which is Pyrgos-Limnitis/Yesilirmak.
Two additional crossing points opened on November 12, 2018, for the first time in eight years. The eastern crossing point of Deryneia and the crossing point of Lefka/Apliki.
