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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-01-27
CONTENTS
[01] PACE - LITURGY - RECOMMENDATION
[01] PACE - LITURGY - RECOMMENDATION
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted
a Recommendation to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of
Europe, which contains a reference to the interruption of the Christmas
liturgy in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus, which reaffirms that
Turkey is responsible for what is happening in the occupied areas.
According to an official press release, the Recommendation was adopted
on Thursday in the context of a discussion of the report submitted by
Italian MP and President of the European People`s Party Luca Volonte,
on behalf of the Political Committee of PACE, concerning violence
against Christians in the Middle East.
In paragraph 13 of the Recommendation, PACE calls on Turkey to fully
investigate the conditions under which the Christmas liturgy was
interrupted in the villages of Rizokarpaso and Ayia Triada in the
Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus, and to bring those responsible before
justice. It also refers to the adoption by the European Parliament on
January 20 of a resolution concerning the conditions under which
Christians enjoy the freedom to religion.
According to the press release, the paragraph spurred an intense
reaction by the Turkish delegation, the leader of which tried, on a
Committee level and during the discussion at the plenary session, to
pass an amendment calling for the elimination of the specific
paragraph. The amendment of the Turkish MPs was put to vote and
dismissed, and the Recommendation was adopted with the overwhelming
majority of PACE members.
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