Archbishop
Chrysostomos II of Cyprus and Bishop Christophoros of Karpasia (the island’s
long, finger-like peninsula occupied by the Turkish army since 1974) were
accompanied by UK Cypriots’ Federation President, Peter Droussiotis, to meetings
in Westminster on Thursday.
At separate meetings with the Minister for Europe, David Lidington MP at the Foreign Office, and the Shadow Minister of Europe, Gareth Thomas MP at the House of Commons, the delegation made the case for the urgent restoration and protection of Cyprus's religious and cultural heritage in the areas of the Republic of Cyprus occupied by the Turkish army.
Since Turkey's invasion and subsequent occupation of 38% of the island in 1974, countless independent reports have presented irrefutable evidence of the deliberate vandalism and destruction of many of the island's historic Greek Orthodox Christian churches and monasteries as well as the desecration of graveyards and cemeteries.
Both Mr Lidington and Mr Thomas expressed their support for the efforts by Archbishop Chrysostomos II to seek access to Christian places of worship and other sacred sites and religious monuments in the occupied areas with a view to resurrecting, restoring and maintaining these and said that they would raise the matter both with Turkey and also with the Turkish Cypriot leadership.
Following the meetings, Mr Droussiotis said:
"A very painful but sometimes overlooked aspect of the tragic invasion and occupation of Cyprus by the Turkish army has been the wilful sacrilegious destruction of many of the island’s churches, monasteries and other places of Christian worship. These sites and monuments are of huge cultural and religious significance and belong not only to the Cypriot people who have been unjustly deprived of their use for nearly forty years, but to the whole of humanity.
“Every effort must be made by the international community to put an end to the neglect and wanton destruction of such places and to allow access so that these can be restored and protected in the future. I am pleased, though happily not surprised, that our case was received sympathetically both by the Minster and by the Shadow Minister."
ENDS
For more information, please call Tony Sophoclides on 07887 935 335. Subscribe to our RSS News by visiting our website www.cypriotfederation.org.uk
Notes to editors
- Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish military forces invaded the northern part of the island and thereafter occupied approximately 38% of its territory.
- Turkey forcibly expelled approximately one third of the Greek Cypriot population in the north of the island from their homes, towns and villages. Tens of thousands of Greek Cypriots, who had remained in the occupied areas, were also forced eventually to abandon their homes and seek refuge in the safety of the government-controlled areas. Today, fewer than 500 enclaved Greek Cypriots remain in the occupied areas.
- Turkey still deprives the displaced Greek Cypriots of their right to return to their homes and properties. This has given rise to appeals to the European Court of Human Rights, which has issued major decisions on Turkey's violations of the European Convention.
- The National Federation of Cypriots in the United Kingdom was founded shortly after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and has since represented the largest community of Cypriots outside of the island itself.
- The Federation is an umbrella organisation of the Cypriot community associations across the UK and seeks to coordinate the activities of more than 300,000 Britons of Cypriot origin.
- Peter Droussiotis was first elected President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK in June 2007 and was re-elected for second, third and fourth successive terms in 2009, 2011 and 2013, the first second generation Cypriot elected to that position and the fourth President of the Federation. Peter also serves as President of Episteme – The Association of British Cypriot Professionals and has previously been a leading Labour Councillor in Haringey. A barrister by background, Peter founded PGD Strategy Limited, a specialist corporate finance and strategy consulting firm, of which he is the current Chairman in 2000, after a career which included senior roles with Credit Suisse, Minet Group (now part of Aon) and Price Waterhouse (now PWC).
