THE CELEBRATION of a wedding is always a joyous occasion in itself; that it took place at the at the church of Ayios Mamas church in occupied Morphou, the first sacrament celebrated there since the invasion of 1974 is cause for celebration and hope.
The church has been allowed to operate on the saint’s feast days for the past two years, but otherwise it operates as an icon museum for the rest of the year. The same goes for the church of the Apostle Barnabas near Famagusta. As for the other churches scattered across the north, with the exception of Apostolos Andreas monastery in Karpasia, they remain bolted, crumbling into ruin, desecrated.
The wedding in Morphou is a chink of light. But was it a one-off publicity stunt involving foreigners? Will the authorities in the north allow it to act as a precedent for Greek Cypriot couples wanting to get married, or to christen their children, or even for funerals?
And frankly what would it cost the Turkish Cypriot side to return the church of Ayios Mamas to its original use, and all the derelict churches of the north for that matter? With the checkpoints open for almost three years now, people coming and going across the line as a matter of course and barely an incident to record, what do they gain by maintaining such a painful situation?
One of the most disturbing things for Greek Cypriots crossing to the north is the sight of their abandoned churches, some covered in graffiti, others turned into stables. If there is a symbol of their pain, that is it. It serves as a constant reminder of their loss, and underlines the brutal disregard for their rights.
The European Union, also, is highly sensitive to the issue of any form of restriction on religious rights and abuse of places of worship. The issue of the Patriarchate of Constantinople is high on Europe’s priorities for Turkey’s EU accession course.
So there would be no better gesture of good will than to return all places of worship to their original use and owners – a gesture the Greek Cypriot side would be sure to reciprocate for the few mosques in the free areas. It is one element of the property puzzle that would cost the Turkish Cypriots nothing – no one would have to be compensated or evicted (except perhaps for a few sheep and goats). It would show commitment to a settlement of land disputes, and good will in making a highly symbolic gesture that would help reconcile Greek Cypriots to the changed situation in the north. And it would earn the authorities in the north immeasurable credit in the international community. Mehmet Ali Talat would do well to consider the idea.
