This week marks thirty-five years of the Turkish occupation and ethnic cleansing of northern Cyprus. People have been driven out of their homes, churches have been converted into mosques, and the thriving resort of Famagusta transformed into a ghost town. Nobody cares. Instead, the trumped-up plight of the "Palestinians," an invented nationality committed to the eradication of a sovereign state in the name of Islamic jihad, occupies the world's attention.

As a consequence of Turkey’s policy and illegal actions:

* at least 55 churches have been converted into mosques
* another 50 churches and monasteries have been converted into stables, stores, hostels, museums, or have been demolished
* the cemeteries of at least 25 villages have been desecrated and destroyed
* innumerable icons, religious artifacts and all kinds of archaeological treasures have been stolen and smuggled abroad
* illegal excavations and smuggling of antiquities is openly taking place all the time with the involvement of the occupying forces
* all Greek place names contrary to all historical and cultural reason were converted into Turkish ones.

Watch video here.

In this respect, the Republic of Cyprus is making great efforts to recover stolen items which include invaluable icons, frescoes, mosaics, texts and artifacts. A successful case of repatriation involved the 6th century mosaics that were illegally removed from the church of Panayia Kanakaria in the occupied areas and sold to an art dealer in the USA. Following a legal battle that generated world attention, the US Courts ruled that the mosaics should be returned to their legal owner, the Church of Cyprus. Similar legal battles are now under way in the Federal Republic of Germany, where Cyprus is striving to repatriate hundreds of items stolen from churches in the occupied part of Cyprus.

In contrast to the total disrespect shown by the occupation regime, all Muslim sites in the area controlled by the Government of Cyprus are properly and respectfully kept, preserved and maintained by the competent authorities. In full Cyprus Net.........