Freedom of religion in Northern Cyprus

The constitution of Northern Cyprus protects the freedom of religion, and it states that Northern Cyprus is a secular state.[1] The US Department of State report in 2002 stated that religious freedom was protected by law in Northern Cyprus and the government generally respected the freedom of religion.[2] The freedom of religion report in 2007 by US Department of State also stated that "Turkish Cypriot authorities generally respected this right in practice" and the practice of religion was generally free.[3] In 2009, Minority Rights Group International also reported that Turkish Cypriot authorities respected religious freedom in general.[4]

Anglican churches

There are two Anglican churches is Northern Cyprus. They are:[5]

Orthodox christianity

In 2010, the US Department of State reported that "Greek Cypriot Orthodox and Maronite Catholics were allowed to perform religious services on a regular basis, without prior permission."[7]

On 28 September 2010, Resolution 1631, was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives:

"... calling for the protection of religious sites and artifacts from and in Turkish-occupied areas of northern Cyprus as well as for general respect for religious freedom."[8]

The Turkish Foreign Ministry responded with a press released statement, saying that the resolution had "many factual errors which may harm the credibility of the House of Representatives".[8]

On 27 January 2011, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in written declaration no. 467, condemned the alleged interruption of the Christmas mass in Northern Cyprus by Turkish troops and restrictions to the right to freedom of religion and worship.[9]

The declaration claimed that Turkish troops forced the priest conducting the service to remove his vestments and ordered everybody to leave the church, thus violating the European Convention on Human Rights.[9]

On 14 March 2011, two Polish MEPs and two former Greek-Cypriot MEPs were detained by police in Northern Cyprus, who were visiting a church in the militarily-controlled Varosha neighborhood of Famagusta in a larger group of people including Bulgarian MP Mariya Nedelcheva and two orthodox Christian priests:

"... the team had gone north to witness firsthand the "destruction of Greek Orthodox churches in the north"."[10]
"... the four men had entered the courtyard of a derelict Varosha Orthodox Christian church when they were confronted by soldiers who turned them over to arriving police officers."[10]

On 18 March 2011, 204 Greek school books, including religious books, that were being taken to the schools at Rizokarpaso were confiscated by Turkish Cypriot customs officers at the Pergamos village barricade. The Turkish Cypriot daily newspaper Afrika, in a front page article, criticised those who claim that there is freedom of religion in Northern Cyprus when the religious books were confiscated.[11]

Judaism

There is a synagogue for the Jewish community in Northern Cyprus in Kyrenia.[2]

References

  1. ↑ The Constitution of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Articles 23 and 30, Retrieved 2011-04-24.
  2. 1 2 2002 Report on Human Rights in Cyprus, US Department of State, retrieved on April 21, 2011.
  3. ↑ Cyprus International Religious Freedom Report 2007 - Cyprus, US Department of State, Retrieved 2011-04-24.
  4. ↑ Cyprus Overview (Minority Rights Group International) Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  5. ↑ http://www.standrewschurchkyrenia.net/
  6. ↑ http://www.stmarksfamagusta.org
  7. ↑ International Religious Freedom Report 2010 - Cyprus, US Department of State, Retrieved 2011-04-27
  8. 1 2 Turkey’s Foreign Ministry Decries ‘Biased Resolution’ on N. Cyprus by Nanore Barsoumian Armenian Weekly, 7 October 2010.
  9. 1 2 Interruption of the Christmas mass in the northern occupied part of Cyprus by Turkish troops and restrictions to the right to freedom of religion and worship Written Declaration No. 467, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Doc. 12505, 27 January 2011.
  10. 1 2 MEPs arrested in northern Cyprus 'ghost town', by Martin Banks, TheParliament.com, 14 March 2011.
  11. ↑ Islam fanatizmi Isa'ya yasak, Turkish translation: "Islam fanaticism, ban Jesus", Afrika newspaper, 18 March 2011.
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