UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- The U.N. Security Council Monday unanimously extended the 40-year-old U.N. Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus for another six months.
The 15-member panel urged the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkish forces to rescind all remaining restrictions on the U.N. mission on the divided eastern Mediterranean island.
The council also expressed "concern at the further continuing violations by the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkish forces" at Strovilia, a small hamlet inhabited by Greek Cypriots. As in a previous resolution approved in June, the council urged the Turkish side to restore the military status quo, which existed on the island prior to June 2000.
In a report to the panel U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said although the situation along the cease-fire lines was stable with "a remarkable low number of incidents" in crossings, only a comprehensive settlement would end the island's problems.
He said the Turkish Cypriot authorities "regrettably" had failed to provide uninhibited access and full freedom of movement and urged them to allow the peacekeeping force to "carry out its mandate throughout its entire area of responsibility."
