Cyprus Archbishop Asks Russian Church to Help Wrench the North from Turkey

Interfax ^ | 6/8/12

[marshmallow]

Nicosia, June 8, Interfax - The head of the Cypriot Orthodox Church asked the Russian Orthodox Church on Friday to help achieve the liberation of northern Cyprus from Turkish occupation, the result of a 1974 invasion that he likened to the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.

"The pious Cypriot people look in hope to the sister Church of Russia, which you have headed by the grace of God, in the expectation that you will continue to help them in their struggle for the liberation of their occupied territories and the restoration of human rights that they have been waging for 38 years," Archbishop Chrysostomos II said in addressing the head of the Russian Church, Patriarch Kirill, during a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Cypriot Church.

Chrysostomos asked Kirill to bring to the attention of the Russian government and people, the Cypriots' "burning desire for freedom, justice and respect for human rights."

Chrysostomos credited the Russian Church with helping Cyprus on repeated occasions. He cited a Russian veto on an attempt in the UN Security Council to "force the plan of Kofi Annan" on Cyprus. Moscow took the step in response to a request from the Cypriot Church.

"This made it possible to evade Annan's plan, which would have been devastating for Cyprus, and to rescue our statehood," Chrysostomos said.

[redgolum]

Russia is acting like Russia. She will start to move against Turkish interests sooner or later.

Which I don’t see as a bad thing.

[2banana]

It is funny how no one ever hears of muslim genocide and ethnic cleansing...

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Though a parallel can be made between Cyprus and North Cyprus, and Ireland and Ulster, things are far more distinct in Cyprus, which lends itself to stability.

That is, if northern Ireland was entirely Protestant, how credible would be the (southern) Irish demand that it be “reunited” with Ireland? It shouldn’t be reunited because the people there don’t want to be under the thumb of Ireland.

The majority of Cyprus is affiliated with Greece; but North Cyprus is entirely Turkish. Thus there is no compelling reason for unification. This being said, there is also no compelling reason for either of these affiliations to be increased.

So what is in it for the head of the Cypriot Orthodox Church? “We want our stuff back and to kick those Turks out or something!”

Seriously now. It’s been 38 years since the Turks moved in there. Since then, with the Green Line, Greeks have not oppressed Turks and Turks have not oppressed Greeks.

Sounds like a reasonable status quo to me.

Greeks hate Turks. Turks hate Greeks. Nothing new, there. NATO would not appreciate the Russians involving themselves in the Mediterranean, more than the port they use in Syria. “It’s not your pond.”