Turkish Troops Kill Greek Cypriot Soldier

Turkish troops shot and killed a Greek Cypriot soldier Monday in the no-man’s-land dividing the island of Cyprus between Greece and Turkey.

It was the first fatal shooting on the border in more than three years, and could further strain relations between the long-time enemies.

Turkish Cypriot officials said the soldier was armed when he entered the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone that divides the Greek and Turkish sides of the island. They said he was killed after failing to respond to warnings.

The Greek Cypriot government released a statement to protest what it called the soldier’s “cold-blooded murder.”