Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, has welcomed the decision to organise a Good Friday service at the church of Saint George the Exiler within the walled part of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, on Cyprus’ eastern coast.
This is the first such service taking place at this church since 1957.
The Commissioner will be among some 4,000 worshipers expected to attend the event.
“This is a positive and symbolic message of reconciliation for Cyprus. The agreement to hold the service is a good example of the progress that can be achieved through cultural and religious dialogue” Androulla Vassiliou pointed out in a statement issued today.
Everyone associated with organising the event should be proud of themselves, she notes, as “they are not only sending an important message to fellow Cypriots but also to the international community about our commitment to peace and reconciliation”.
The church of Saint George the Exiler lies within the walled city of Famagusta, which is close to the fenced off area of the town of Famagusta, known by Greek Cypriots as Varosha. The town has been under Turkish occupation since 1974. Varosha, abandoned by its Greek Cypriot inhabitants as they fled the advancing Turkish troops in the summer of 1974, has remained under Turkey’s direct control since then. The UN has called for the return of the town to its lawful inhabitants but so far Ankara refuses to comply with such calls.