Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Greek Orthodox Church made an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights against Turkey.
Fileleftheros, daily local newspaper in Southern part of Cyprus, stated that application against Turkey is made by so-called ëKyrenia and Morphouà metropolitans and Cikko and Mahera monasteries on behalf of archbishopric.
Fileleftheros mentioned that Turkey is being accused of ëtaking the right of making freedom of worship in the churches from Greek Orthodox in the occupied areas of the Cyprus islandà and also is stated that ëthere is discrimination towards Greek Cypriots because of being ChristianÃ.
Greek Orthodox Church is demanding the restoration of the properties of Church in Cyprus in order to ëmake them same as they were in 1974Ã, the compensation the losses caused by not using and put to good use and also demanding freedom of worship in the religious places. In addition, in the context of the case, there are also claims that Greek religious inheritance (churches, temples and cemeteries) in North Cyprus have been demolished.
According to Ceren Mutus, researcher at USAK Center for EU Studies, he ongoing reconciliation talks in Cyprus and the possibility to reach a settlement in the long lasting dispute have triggered the judicial initiatives put forward by the Greek Cypriot community. Mutus stated that ìAlthough the current phase of the negotiations does not present optimistic signs for a rapid solution in the Island, a possible future reconciliation between Cypriot leaders created an anxiety among Greek Cypriots and prompted them to file more law suits before the ECHR. Taking into account the activist approach of the Court on the property issue in favor of the Greek thesis and the huge amounts of compensation it ordered Turkey to pay to the petitioners up to now, this substantial increase in applications can be regarded as normal. The main political reason behind the continuous lawsuits before the ECHR is to strengthen the hand of Greek Cypriot Government on the table and to compel the Turkish Government to withdraw from its demands as much as possible. The Geek side perceives the judgments of the Court as one the prominent compelling tools. When we consider the importance of the Orthodox Church in the politics of the Southern Cyprus, it wonÃt be wrong to say that in the following months, Greek Cypriots will follow a more proactive policy.î
By Atif Muezzinler (JTW)
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Wednesday, 25 November 2009
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