By Jean Christou
THE LARGEST number of Greek Cypriots to cross the Green Line since 1974 are expected to do so today as part of a pilgrimage to the Apostolos Andreas monastery in occupied Karpasia.
Around 1,000 pilgrims, mostly sick and elderly, were to gather at the Ledra Palace checkpoint at 7.45am to make the three-hour journey by coach to the monastery at the tip of the island’s northeast peninsula.
Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner Takis Christopoulos said the pilgrims will take part in a two and a half hour service at the monastery to celebrate the Feast day of Apostolos Andreas, one of the most important dates on the Greek Orthodox calendar.
For most it will be their first visit to their former district since the Turkish invasion, while for others it will be a chance to see enclaved relatives.
“Some have been before, but not on a visit organised by our office,” Christopoulos said.
Organising the visit was a nightmare, he added. More than 10,000 people applied for the 1,000 places allocated by the Turkish Cypriots, and since the list of those approved was published last week, Christopoulos’ office has been inundated with complaints and accusations of nepotism by those who lost out on a place.
The Karpasia Co-ordinating Committee for refugees blasted the Humanitarian Affairs Office for not consulting it when the names were being chosen, and accused the government service of allocating places to “relatives and friends” of its employees.
It also accused them of including people who knew deputies and other “people of influence”.
Christopoulos insists that priority was given to the elderly, the sick, children with incurable diseases and their parents, as well as to refugees and a small number of Greek Cypriots from Britain, Zimbabwe and Australia. Three priests are also included in the number allowed to go.
Christopoulos said he was still receiving calls of complaint as late as 2am on Friday. “It’s all been so much trouble,” he said. “It’s the worst experience I ever had.”
Today’s visit is only the second such pilgrimage since 1974.
In all 619 people plus 47 Greek Cypriot UN employees made the 150-kilometre trip by bus on August 15.
That trip was allowed by the Turkish side in return for some 400 Turkish Cypriots being allowed to visit the Kokkina enclave.
Earlier in the year some 500 Turkish Cypriots from the occupied areas made a pilgrimage to the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque in Larnaca.
