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ARMENIANS HOLD CHURCH RITUAL IN NORTHERN CYPRUS
Daily Sabah, Turkey
May 13 2014
by AA
NICOSIA -- Sunday's mass at the Armenian Church on the Turkish side of
the island was the first in half a century. The Armenian community in
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on Sunday held its first church
service in fifty years. Around 500 Armenians coming from the Turkish
Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides of the island gathered at the Armenian
Church in the capital Nicosia to attend the ritual led by Archbishop
Varoujan Hergelian. The service was also attended by Lisa Buttenheim,
the U.N.'s special representative in Cyprus, and Å~^evket Alemdar,
imam of the Hala Sultan Mosque, along with a number of diplomats. "I
graduated from the school near the church. These places were home
to us. We are home now," one of the participants of the service,
Gora Terziyan, told Anadolu Agency.
She expressed hope that such steps would contribute to the peace
process on the divided island. The island of Cyprus has remained
divided into Greek and Turkish zones since a Greek Cypriot coup was
followed by a Turkish peace mission to aid Turkish Cypriots in the
north in 1974. The Greek Cypriot administration is a member of the
European Union and is internationally recognized, except by Turkey,
which is the only country that recognizes the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus. Another participant of the service, Gula Kasabiyan,
said the day was of particular significance as being able to hold the
service after half a century was evidence that the issues between the
two populations of the island could be settled. "We should always look
beyond for peace," she added. The Armenian Church hosting the historic
rite was allocated to the Armenian population of the island back in
the Ottoman era. However, it was abandoned by Armenians in 1964. Since
then, the church went to rack and ruin but was renovated in 2010.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/05/13/armenians-hold-church-ritual-in-northern-cyprus
Daily Sabah, Turkey
May 13 2014
by AA
NICOSIA -- Sunday's mass at the Armenian Church on the Turkish side of
the island was the first in half a century. The Armenian community in
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on Sunday held its first church
service in fifty years. Around 500 Armenians coming from the Turkish
Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides of the island gathered at the Armenian
Church in the capital Nicosia to attend the ritual led by Archbishop
Varoujan Hergelian. The service was also attended by Lisa Buttenheim,
the U.N.'s special representative in Cyprus, and Å~^evket Alemdar,
imam of the Hala Sultan Mosque, along with a number of diplomats. "I
graduated from the school near the church. These places were home
to us. We are home now," one of the participants of the service,
Gora Terziyan, told Anadolu Agency.
She expressed hope that such steps would contribute to the peace
process on the divided island. The island of Cyprus has remained
divided into Greek and Turkish zones since a Greek Cypriot coup was
followed by a Turkish peace mission to aid Turkish Cypriots in the
north in 1974. The Greek Cypriot administration is a member of the
European Union and is internationally recognized, except by Turkey,
which is the only country that recognizes the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus. Another participant of the service, Gula Kasabiyan,
said the day was of particular significance as being able to hold the
service after half a century was evidence that the issues between the
two populations of the island could be settled. "We should always look
beyond for peace," she added. The Armenian Church hosting the historic
rite was allocated to the Armenian population of the island back in
the Ottoman era. However, it was abandoned by Armenians in 1964. Since
then, the church went to rack and ruin but was renovated in 2010.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/05/13/armenians-hold-church-ritual-in-northern-cyprus