GREEK CYPRUS CHURCH SUES TURKEY OVER WORSHIP IN NORTH

Hurriyet Daily News
Nov 23 2009
Turkey

Greek Cyprus’ Orthodox Church said it has sued Turkey for allegedly
preventing worship at religious sites in Turkish Cyprus.

Church lawyer Simos Angelides said Monday the lawsuit with the European
Court of Human Rights concerns 520 churches, monasteries, chapels and
cemeteries. He said the court’s past rulings hold Turkey responsible
for Turkish Cyprus because it maintains 35,000 troops there.

Angelides said Orthodox Christian faithful could not worship at those
sites because they were either derelict or have been converted to
mosques, army barracks, stables or nightclubs.

Cyprus was split into a Turkish Cypriot north and a Greek Cypriot
south in 1974. The island joined the European Union in 2004, but only
Greek Cypriots enjoy the benefits of membership.

Reconciliation talks between Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali
Talat and his Greek Cypriot counterpart Dimitris Christofias were
launched last year by the United Nations. Talks under Alexander Downer,
the former Australian foreign minister, who is the U.N. envoy to
negotiations, have made significant progress in a number of areas.

However, momentum has slowed as a looming election due to be in held
in the Turkish territory next April overshadows the meeting. Turkish
voters are deeply disillusioned with the south’s unequal position. The
Turkish Cypriot leader since 2005, Talat favors reunification and
membership of the EU for the whole island but his rivals disagree
with him.