TURKISH Cypriot ‘prime minister’ says he believes allowing a Greek Orthodox liturgy to take place at the Ayios Mammmas church in Morphou this week has done more for the Turkish Cypriot cause than any high-cost promotion campaign could even have done.
“It shows the world that the Turkish Cypriots are tolerant, democratic and sensible. It also shows that those who say north Cyprus is occupied are wrong,” Talat said, adding that people in the north would soon see the benefits of his administration’s fresh approach.
Talat laid praise on the north’s security services, which he said had “passed the test”.
“The whole world saw that the TRNC’s police and government bodies function systematically and well”.
On Thursday, Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides accused Talat of using the Ayios Mamas service as political capital when Talat paid a surprise visit to the church during the service. Talat’s recent statements are likely to anger the government further.
“The world will realise how meaningless it is to keep Turkish Cypriots under isolation and that the continuation of the policy is an abuse of their good will,” Talat told the press on Thursday.
But Talat is understandably keen to show that there has been a major change of heart in the Turkish Cypriot approach since he came to office.
“We have consigned the old approach to the dustbin of history and replaced it with a new way,” he said.
Talat also spoke of the concern expressed internationally after a bomb exploded at Ayios Mamas just days before the service was due to take place,
“A number of foreign diplomats called me and expressed their worries over the bombing. I reassured them that every possible security measure would be taken and that there was no danger.”
Talat says there is still no word from police in the north on who might have planted a small bomb at the church last Friday. It is widely believed, however, that extremist Turkish nationalists were behind it. Talat’s only comment was: “Whoever was behind it is clearly not a friend of the Turkish Cypriots.”
Predictably Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash expressed displeasure at the Orthodox liturgy taking place in Morphou.
“The reason why the government needed to take such stringent security measures is that the Turkish Cypriots are not happy with such visits,” he said.
He added that those Turkish Cypriots not willing to defend their ‘state’ “were prepared to become slaves to Greeks.”
