Cyprus-Forum.com

[Simon]

[quote]Kyrenia Bishop protests Turkish conversion of historic church

BISHOP OF Kyrenia Pavlos has strongly protested Turkish actions to convert the historic church of St. Luke in the occupied north, into a ballroom.

“The Turkish occupying forces by their continuing unacceptable treatment of religious and cultural heritage in the occupied part of Cyprus have exceeded all boundaries of shamelessness”, he said.

In a letter sent to Ambassadors stationed in Nicosia, the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, the General Secretaries of the Council of Europe, UNESCO and the European Commission’s representative in Nicosia, the Bishop of Kyrenia called upon the recipients of the letter to do their utmost so that their governments or institutions take practical steps to safeguard human rights in Cyprus as well as the island’s religious heritage.

“These actions by the Turkish occupation forces will undoubtedly convince even doubting Thomases of the Turkish systematic practice of obliterating every trace of the rich religious and cultural heritage of our island in flagrant violation of the 1954 Treaty on the Protection of Cultural Heritage, international law and the relevant UN resolutions”, he concludes.

More than 133 churches, chapels and monasteries located in the north have been desecrated, 78 churches have been converted into mosques, 28 are used as military depots and hospitals, and 13 are used as stockyards.

Their ecclesiastical items, including more than 15,000 icons, have been illegally removed and their location remains unknown.

According to the Cypriot Department of Antiquities, the most significant and priceless of these icons have already been auctioned off and sold by art dealers abroad. (CNA)[/quote]

When will these deplorable, disrespectful acts of barbarism end? When there is absolutely no trace left of the Greek Cypriots' existence in the north?

Does this sound like an occupier that is striving for and seeks a solution to reunite Cyprus?

[Sotos]

What the occupation regime does is disrespectful to our culture and history not only religion

Does this sound like an occupier that is striving for and seeks a solution to reunite Cyprus?

Of course no! It sounds like an occupier who is trying to remove everything Greek and Christian from the north part of Cyprus. We never believed that they wanted unification anyways!

[Piratis]

When will Turkey's illegalities end?

The answer to this question in a few words: When the balance of power will change.

[Mem]

Dear Simon and Sotos,
Your posting does not say where you live.
Have you been to the North?
The Churches are still there in the towns and villages. Many have certainly been stripped of anything of value over the past 32 years.
However where are all the village Mosques in the South ?
The boot is on the other foot I'm afraid.
A lot of the village churches have been looked after and many Greek Cypriots visit and ring the bells.
It was a war you know.
As for converting a church ...............visit Britain, hundreds, nay thousand of churches have been converted into pubs, clubs etc.

[Alexis]

The boot is on the other foot I'm afraid.
A lot of the village churches have been looked after and many Greek Cypriots visit and ring the bells.
It was a war you know.
As for converting a church ...............visit Britain, hundreds, nay thousand of churches have been converted into pubs, clubs etc.

I'm sorry, but no excuse can be made of the desecration of religious buildings whether they happen North or South. There are plenty of operating and/or maintained mosques in the south but that does not mean that many more have not been demolished or lie derelict. The same goes for the north, just because some churches exist doesn't mean that many more have not been desecrated. As for Britain, you are right many churches have been converted to pubs etc... but that is the choice of the church to sell their buildings for whatever reason they have (to raise money, small congregations etc...), the churches/mosques in Cyprus were never given this choice.

[Piratis]

Came to Paphos in 1985.
Now resident in Girne/Kyrenia, having learnt the historical truth from 1950 onwards

So how does that work exactly Mem? If you learn the "historical truth" about Mongolia or Chad you will move to live there?

The fact is that what you found in Kerynia was nice cheap property stolen from Greek Cypriots. Then when you moved there and you realized that you are keeping that property illegally you decided to fully adopt the Turkish propaganda and try to support it over the internet since you know full well that if the illegalities by Turkey in Cyprus end you will lose the property that you illegally keep.

[Viewpoint]

Came to Paphos in 1985.
Now resident in Girne/Kyrenia, having learnt the historical truth from 1950 onwards

So how does that work exactly Mem? If you learn the "historical truth" about Mongolia or Chad you will move to live there?

The fact is that what you found in Kerynia was nice cheap property stolen from Greek Cypriots. Then when you moved there and you realized that you are keeping that property illegally you decided to fully adopt the Turkish propaganda and try to support it over the internet since you know full well that if the illegalities by Turkey in Cyprus end you will lose the property that you illegally keep.

Piratis it is this paranoia that will ensure maintaining the divide, not everything is in the north is GC there are Tc properties as well. You throw this accusations about like they are going out of fashion. Believe it or not some people prefere to live north even though they can move south when they want this is a reflection on yourselves more than anything else.