"We’re not playing politics on Ledra, Turks insist
By Simon Bahceli
TURKISH Cypriot officials yesterday vehemently denied accusations by the Cypriot government that preparations for a new crossing at Ledra Street were merely an attempt to score political points and to extend Turkish military presence in the area.
“We are simply doing our best to prepare our side of the crossing,” north Nicosia Deputy Mayor Semavi Asik told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.
“We are not playing politics, and the army is not upgrading installations. If anything, they have been downgraded through the destruction of a lookout post.”
Asik’s comments came in the wake of a barrage of accusations from the Cypriot government that Turkish forces had encroached onto part of the UN-controlled buffer zone over the weekend. The accusations were coupled with expressions of concern from the UN that the Turkish Cypriot side was acting unilaterally – something it sees as counterproductive to efforts to foster peace on the island. "
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