NICOSIA – While United Nations peacekeeping forces on Cyprus, where the northern third has been occupied since an unlawful 1974 Turkish invasion, are routinely reapproved to be there, Turkey said Turkish-Cypriot permission is also necessary.

“Let me underline the need for the UN to seek the consent of the Turkish-Cypriot authorities for the UN peacekeeping (UNFICYP) force on the island,”said Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, reported Turkey’s pro-government The Daily Sabah.

That was said in an address to the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting held in the South Korean capital Seoul, via video link, the report said.

He said it was ethnic violence by Greek-Cypriots on the island in 1963 that led to the UN sending peace keepers there, blaming the other side.

In July, the Turkish-Cypriot side complained it was not asked if it consented to the UN forces mission being extended, but it wasn’t explained why he waited five months to mention it.

“This situation is even against the rules and principles of the UN It is necessary to reiterate that UNFICYP is only able to carry out its operations on our territory due to the goodwill and constructive stance of our authorities,” a statement from is office said.

Turkey also said that the U.N. Security Council’s extension of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force on Cyprus has “no meaning or value for us” as it “ignores once again the will of the Turkish-Cypriot people,” but Çavuşoğlu didn’t say what would be done about it.

“It is against the UN‘s own rules and principles that the (Turkish Cypriot) authorities’ consent was not obtained for the extension of the mandate,” said a Foreign Ministry statement, adding that Turkey expects “the UN to rectify this situation … as soon as possible.”