Greek archbishop criticizes president
Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Vercihan Ziflioğlu-ISTANBUL

Greek Cyprus’ archbishop has criticized President Dimitris Christofias, saying the country failed to present an “honorable stance” when it agreed to buy electricity from northern Cyprus after a munitions blast damaged a critical power plant.

“A fire had broken out in the occupied area in previous years, causing energy [shortages] in the Turkish Cypriot section. When we attempted to help them at that time, they turned this offer down. They presented an honorable [and] honest stance. Unfortunately, we could not [emulate] this honest stance of theirs,” Archbishop Hrisostomos II, the religious leader of Greek Cyprus, told the Hürriyet Daily News after attending a summit of Orthodox patriarchs in Istanbul.

“I prefer to use a lamp or a torch rather than illuminate Cyprus with Turkish electricity. I would have told [them] not to purchase electricity from the occupied areas, if I were asked [about this.] Let us turn those air-conditioners off for a while and sweat to feel the hardship,” Hrisostomos II had said in previous comments.

The archbishop also said they were not demanding that Turkey recognize the ecumenical nature of the Fener Greek Patriarchate because the decision did not concern Turkey.

“The Christian world already recognizes the ecumenical nature of the Fener Greek Patriarchate. It would be to Turkey’s own benefit to recognize an institution that carries so much significance for the Orthodox world; it would honor [Turkey,]” he said. “Turkey needs to present a more democratic attitude if it wants to join the European Union,” he also said. “We lived in peace in Cyprus until Turkey’s intervention. Our reaction is toward Turkey.”