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SPECIAL ISSUES - ANALYSES
President of Bulgaria - Interview
ECHR might strike out cases after a Cyprus solution, says Court President
Service for Overseas Cypriots sets new goals - Interview
Cypriot scientists participate in CERN experiment
Abortions increase as prenatal tests detect genetic diseases, says Bioethics chief
Cyprus FM: Greek Cypriot side attends direct talks with good will
Destruction of churhes in Turkish-occupied Cyprus
Baritone John Modinos - Interview
Cyprus home to Europe's last ancient dwarf hippopotami
Cyprus Church launches protest campaign for occupied sites
President of Bulgaria - Interview
 A solution to the Cyprus issue should be backed by the majority of the two communities on the island and must be in line with the acquis communautaire, Bulgarian President Georgi Sedefchov Parvanov has stressed, noting that Cyprus must remain a unified, territorially integral, sovereign state.
In an interview with the Cyprus News Agency on the occasion of Cyprus President Demetris Christofias’ official visit to Sofia, President Parvanov said that Turkey has to fulfill the obligations it has undertaken for accession to the European Union. This, he added, must be a fundamental pre-requisite for the evaluation of the country’s accession negotiations.
Parvanov expressed the view that Cyprus has a mission in the Middle East peace process and for this reason it believes that Cyprus’ efforts to renew its friendly relations with the Arab countries will play a positive role.
Asked whether Bulgaria is prepared to use its relations with Turkey to help towards a solution to the Cyprus issue, Parvanov said his country advocates a fair, permanent and viable solution to the problem.
“Bulgaria’s official position as regards the Cyprus problem has always been firm and consistent. We are saddened by the fact that despite the long-standing efforts on the part of the UN and the international community, the Cyprus problem remains unresolved. Bulgaria fully supports UN Security Council resolutions on Cyprus and we support a fair, permanent and viable solution to the problem that will concentrate on the following principles”.
Outlining these principles, he said Sofia respects “the indisputable right of the people of Cyprus to decide their own future, we back a solution which will be supported by the majority of the population of the two communities and will be in line with the acquis and the European achievements. The Republic of Cyprus should remain a united, independent, territorially integral state, the sovereignty of which should cover the entire island”, he added.
 Parvanov said the future structure of the state of Cyprus should respect the peaceful co-existence of the two communities in conditions of absolute security and respect of their legal interests. “Cyprus, as an equal member of the European Union, should have a positive effect and will offer additional incentives for the solution to the Cyprus issue”, the Bulgarian President remarked.
He said Bulgaria has expressed its position both at official fora and at bilateral meetings, including meetings with Turkey. “As a candidate state for accession to the EU, Turkey has undertaken the obligation to ratify and implement the Ankara protocol”, Parvanov said, noting that although Bulgaria supports Turkey’s European course and accession, “we believe that fulfilling the obligations it has undertaken will be a fundamental prerequisite for evaluating its readiness”.
Turkey, whose troops occupy Cyprus’ northern part since they invaded in 1974, does not recognise the government of Cyprus and refuses to meet its EU commitments, relating to Cyprus, including opening its ports and airports to Cypriot flagged vessels and aircraft.
The Bulgarian President expressed optimism that the efforts of the UN and the international community for a solution will continue and added: “we are anticipating that the new steps undertaken lately towards this direction and the negotiations that began between President Demetris Christofias and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community Mehmet Ali Talat will contribute to achieving the goal of finding a solution within 2008”.
Regarding the problems which his country is facing in the EU and ways Cyprus can help, Parvanov said that both countries face similar challenges in making use of the possibilities arising from accession to the EU. “It is now more necessary than ever, to show new political will, determination and solidarity and to continue our common path for the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy”, he added.
Asked about Cyprus’s role in Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East as an EU member, Parvanov told CNA that his country acknowledges Cyprus’ important geostrategic position in Eastern Mediterranean as well as its proximity to the Middle East.
 “Cyprus has a mission in the Middle East peace process and for this reason I believe that Cyprus’ renewed efforts to strengthen friendly relations with the Arab countries will strengthen this positive role”, Parvanov said.
On bilateral relations, he said both countries wish to develop closer cooperation to increase trade and tourism, education and culture.
“Our countries have common interests”, said Parvanov, adding that he is pleased with
Enhanced contacts between the two countries in the tourist industry, noting also the rising number of tourists visiting each other’s country.
“The bilateral agreement on cooperation in tourism creates the preconditions to develop further specialised tourism and increase investments in tourist projects”, the Bulgarian President said, adding that the agreement also provides for Cypriot companies to participate in the management, renovation and exploitation of tourist units in Bulgaria and in the training of tourist officers.
He said around 30 thousand Bulgarian citizens are working in Cyprus and there are Cypriots businessmen, investors or students in Bulgaria, adding there are around 800 Cypriots who are studying in Bulgarian higher educational institutions.
 As far as investments are concerned, he said Cyprus ranks eighth in the list of countries investing in Bulgaria. During the past 12.5 years, he said, investments have surpassed 1.2 billion euro, which translates to around 4% of the total foreign investment in Bulgaria during that period.
Parnavov expressed hope that the country’s emerging stock exchange will attract foreign investors.
On Russia’s relations with the US and the European Union, Parvanov said that his country acknowledges Russia’s role as an important factor in European and world politics.
“During developments in the past months in Georgia, Russia has supported a position which we have not seen for many years”, he said, adding that his country had contributed to the common position the EU has adopted with regard to this issue. At the same time, he said, Bulgaria has intensified the direct dialogue with these countries and is working intensely to become a regional energy factor.
“I must say that even through this complex situation, Bulgaria can be an effective and creative partner in international relations”, Parvanov concluded.
CNA/RP/EC/MM/2008
ECHR might strike out cases after a Cyprus solution, says Court President
 The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) might decide to strike out pending human rights cases, filed by Greek Cypriots against Turkey, once a political settlement is reached, on certain conditions, the Court President Jean Paul Costa has indicated.
In an interview with CNA, Costa also indicated that Court rulings should not have a bearing on efforts for a solution of any political dispute, stressing that settling disputes is a political process whereas Court rulings is a purely judicial matter. However, Costa appeared optimistic that a solution in Cyprus would lead to a reduction in the number of pending cases.
The Court President said that his visit to the Green Line reminded him of “the Berlin Wall” and said he was moved to see the country divided.
On the work of the Court, he said that human rights cannot be relinquished in the fight against terrorism as far as the Court is concerned, noted that internal reforms are in place to meet the increasing number of cases filed, and explains that execution of judgments depends heavily on the good faith of states.
Asked about the criteria which led the Court to select eight property cases against Turkey, filed by Greek Cypriots, as pilot cases, the judgment of which will determine the validity or not of the self-styled property commission in Turkish occupied Cyprus, Costa said that “we selected eight cases because they were slightly different each from the other and we covered all the problems which possibly could influence the Court by deciding whether this mechanism established at the end of 2005 is an effective one to be exhausted by the applicants or not.”
Costa said that depending on the speed of the parties in sending their observations to the Court, the admissibility of those cases should normally be decided by the Court by the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
On another 32 property cases, filed by Greek Cypriots against Turkey, which have been declared admissible, Costa said they would proceed, expressing at the same time the hope that “there will be some kind of political settlement solving the very long lasting and very difficult problems of Cyprus since 1974.” This, he pointed out, “doesn’t mean that we can simply wait for that.”
Asked about pending cases, once there is a political solution, Costa said “it is impossible to speculate, but it is possible to envisage - and I am very prudent by saying so - that a political agreement between both communities in Cyprus could have as an outcome some kind of friendly settlement of many cases and in this case it would also be possible for the Court to check if these settlements are correct from the human rights point of view, and if this is so to strike the cases out of the list of cases of the Court.”
Asked if Court rulings in cases of human rights violations in Cyprus by Turkey must be taken into consideration, in efforts for a political settlement, Costa acknowledged that repetitive findings of violations of the European Convention of Human Rights leads to the improvement of the situation in a particular state, which has been found guilty of violating the Convention.
“For instance in cases of freedom of speech many states have changed their legislation because they were repeatedly condemned by our Court and even Turkey has improved internally its records in the human rights due to the influence of our rulings”, he said.
He added though that in this particular case – Cyprus - he was not so optimistic, because the main problem is a political one and the Court’s decisions are purely judicial, noting that if there is a political solution in Cyprus it means that probably a number of cases will decrease and old cases will be settled.
Asked if there can be a compromise on human rights issues, Costa replied: “it depends on what kind of violations of human rights. It is clear that when it deals with very serious articles of the Convention, Article 2, Article 3, Article 5 it is difficult to compromise. But as regards property rights they are complex, there are big financial amounts of money at stake but there could be a compromise,” he explained.
 Questioned on recent changes in the way the Court functions in terms of administering justice quickly, Costa said that protocol 11 which was the most important reform in the past several years was a very good idea, but the effects finally have not been so good.
As he explained Protocol 11 merged the Commission and the Court and made the Court as a unique body and at the same time decided that the right of individual petition would be automatic and compulsory jurisdiction of the Court as well.
But, as he noted, due to the increase of the number of member states and generalisation of the right of individual petition there is a very big work load and a huge back load for the Court, and that is why the operation of the Court is less smooth than it was and than what it should be. “Our main problem now is delay in dealing with these applications,” Costa noted.
As he explained there have been efforts to promote reforms. One of them is Protocol 14 to the Convention, for which a unanimous ratification is needed, and which has been ratified two years ago by all countries except the Russian Federation.
Similarly, Costa added, the Committee of Wise Persons proposed a number of reforms but all of them, like Protocol 14, demand unanimity by the member states. “So we try now as much as possible internal reforms without amending the Convention because the experience shows that it is too difficult, and for instance we plead for better applications by the domestic authorities, for domestic effective remedies, in order to decrease a little the flow of applications to Strasbourg,” he said.
Asked if the citizen, as an individual, trusts the Court or whether the Court's impartiality was at stake, Costa said that it seems that the citizen normally trusts the impartiality of the Court, but he is also very disappointed with the delay in dealing with the cases.
He told CNA that he had never heard really very much criticism about the impartiality of the Court, but also noted that people who are disappointed by a judgment feel at times that the Court is not impartial or effective.
Asked whether states can be penalized by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers for delaying or failing to implement judgments, Costa said that Protocol 14 provided a solution to this problem because it gives some additional powers to the Committee of Ministers and to the Court.
As he noted for the time being the Committee of Ministers is trying to exert political pressure on defending states which are reluctant to enforce judgments but the Committee of Ministers itself is now facing a back load. “They have not sufficient staff to deal with the execution of judgments and this is also a drawback which should be improved as soon as possible,” he added.
Asked what can or must be done to have a more effective mechanism to achieve execution of judgments, ECHR President said execution of judgments of the Court relies very much on the good faith of the states.
“When good faith is missing, it is very difficult. You can for instance increase the sums which have to be paid by the state. And usually the states pay the compensation”, he said adding however that in very serious cases the victims receive financial compensation, as a follow up of the judgment of the Court, but this it is not enough to have a full execution of the judgment. As Costa noted according to Article 41 of the Convention just satisfaction is relatively effective but not sufficient.
Commenting on his visit to the Green Line in Nicosia, Costa said that it reminded him of the Berlin Wall, adding that “it is moving to see that an island which could be a unique territory and a unique entity divided.”
 Asked how he would rate Cyprus in terms of respect of human rights, Costa said the record is good, noting that there are some problems, most of them of procedural nature, and lack of domestic remedies in Cyprus and some isolated incidents. He gave examples of cases where Cyprus was found violating the Convention, for instance the Kafkaris case or the Kyprianou case, noting that “normally the legislation in Cyprus should be amended in order to abide by the rulings of the Court. So the situation is not bad.”
Asked which case has either shocked, puzzled or impressed him most, in his career as a judge, Costa referred to the Selmouni v France case of 1999, noting that it was the first time that his country, France, was found in breach of Article 3 on the grounds of torture.
“And it was a unanimous ruling of the Great Chamber which means that I was sitting in the bench and I voted also in favour of finding a violation of an article on the grounds of torture. And it was not shocking but very moving for me to see that my own country was responsible for torture,” he said.
Another example he gave is that of case Saadi v Italy, where as he said the Court decided unanimously that to extradite someone to a country where he faces serious violations of human rights, even if he may be suspect of links with terrorism, extraditing him is contrary to the Convention.
“This is a very important case because even if the Court is very much in favour of fighting against terrorism, we do think that it is not possible to give up human rights as a way of fighting against terrorism,” he concluded.
CAN/MK/MM/2008
Service for Overseas Cypriots sets new goals - Interview
The Service for Overseas Cypriots is moving forward to create a digital library and is in search of a place to establish a Museum for the Cypriot Diaspora, Director of the Service Stavros Epaminondas has told CNA, in an interview in which he analyses the role and the new goals of the Service.
Epaminondas stressed that the main aim of the Service for Overseas Cypriots is to provide guidance and support to the Cypriots all over the word by keeping continuous and close contact with them, explaining that “it has no exclusive jurisdiction or authority to take decisions”.
He said that the number of Cypriots abroad exceeds 500,000, adding that the Cypriot Diaspora is important, not only in size but also in economic power.
“It is important”, he noted, “to ensure that our compatriots living abroad preserve their national identity, religion and cultural heritage and maintain their love and interest in Cyprus”.
For this purpose, he continued, the Service for Overseas Cypriots is taking a series of actions such as hosting Cypriot children from abroad, sending material and supporting cultural events related to Cyprus.
As he said, the Service was established in 1976, two years after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, to address the need to build a communication bridge between the homeland and overseas Cypriots, most of whom immigrated abroad in search of a better life.
Asked about the incentives granted to Cypriots overseas who decide to return home, he said that “existing incentives, which are mainly financial, are considered by them as not satisfactory”.
“There is room for granting more incentives”, he pointed out.
The decision to grant incentives, he explained, was initially taken “to tackle the demographic problem Cyprus was facing due to the large migration flow created after the 1974 war and the arrival of thousands of illegal Turkish settlers in the occupied areas”.
In addition, he said, these measures are to help Overseas Cypriots “to adjust as easily and quickly as possible with the new realities of the Cypriot society”.
Epaminondas said that “it is difficult to know the exact number of the Cypriots returning home from overseas”, adding that “the only number we have corresponds to overseas Cypriots who apply for benefits”.
Asked about the budget of the Service, he said that the amount granted to the Service, which is around 500,000 euro, “could be increased in order to meet its new needs and programmes”.
Epaminondas announced that the Service is moving forward to create a digital library and a Museum for the Cypriot Diaspora, where material related to the life and activities of Cypriots overseas, such as writings, photographs and other documents, would be collected and put at the disposal of researchers.
To this end, he added, the Service is working with the Archbishopric and the State Archives, and it is sponsoring research in cooperation with Universities abroad so as to find and collect such material.
He also referred to current efforts made towards establishing an Overseas Cypriots Service Centre to provide additional help and information to Cypriots abroad on various issues, in cooperation with other government departments.
Furthermore, he noted that employing more staff would make the Service even more effective in assisting overseas Cypriots with their problems and needs.
As he said “among the priorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to enhance the Service with personnel through the employment of new diplomats”.
Referring to the latest conference of overseas Cypriots here, he said they had expressed their satisfaction with the work done by the Service and the efforts made for better addressing their problems.
The Director of the Service clarified that “the agenda of these conferences is set by the Cypriots abroad and not by the Service”.
CNA/GMI/MM/2008
Cypriot scientists participate in CERN experiment
 The 10th of September is a historic and crucial date not only for scientists but for the whole humanity as well, as a series of experiments begins, hoping to shed light on the circumstances which existed right after the creation of our universe, 13.7 billion years ago.
A Cypriot team, under Professor of Physics at the University of Cyprus Panos Razis, is also participating in the experiments which take place at CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research.
The 10th of September is the day when CERN, the world's leading laboratory for particle physics, starts the experiments aiming at collecting information that would answer a number of questions regarding cosmology and most important what exactly happened during the first seconds after the Big Bang, which created the universe as we know it.
 In an interview with CNA, Razis said that thousands of scientists from all over the world are participating in the experiments, among them the Cypriot team of the High Energy Physics (HEP) group at the University of Cyprus.
Speaking to CNA, Professor Razis noted that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, being the highest energy particle accelerator, is poised to provide new insights into the mysteries of our universe.
Asked about the fears expressed by some scientists as to the safety of the experiments, Razis said that safety fears are unfounded.
 CERN is the place where the internet was born. Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist at CERN, invented the World Wide Web (WWW) in 1990.
Razis told CNA that the new experiments at CERN could lead to greater internet speeds, at least 1,000 faster than the current speeds.
Asked how the results of the experiments could change our perception of God, Razis said that they could not change the way we understand God.
“Our perception of God does not conflict with the new developments in the area of high energy particle physics. On the contrary, the harmony of the universe indicates I believe the existence of a plan and of a Creator”, he said.
First results of the experiments, he added, should be expected in two years.
 The experiments will take place in a dept of 50 to 175 meters below the earth, in an area near Geneva, at the borders between Switzerland and France.
Do we live in a world of more dimensions, which we just cannot see? Is there a “God’s particle, or better known as higgs particle? Why does the world look like it does? Why only 4% of the universe’s matter is visible? Of what the rest, dark matter consists. What has happened during the first seconds after the Big Bang? What existed before the time zero? Did the universe exist before the Big Bang and if so, how did it look like? Are there parallel universes? If they exist, how can we detect them?
These are but a few of questions that need to be answered and scientists have been trying to do just that for decades now. The CERN experiments give hope that the scientific community could one day be able to answer them.
Abortions increase as prenatal tests detect genetic diseases, says Bioethics chief
 The number of abortions in Cyprus has increased over the past few years as medical advancement provides for prenatal tests to detect genetic diseases, which in some cases might appear at a very late stage in life, the President of the Cyprus National Bioethics Committee (CNBC), Rena Vrahimi Petridou has told CNA in an interview.
Speaking about prenatal genetic tests, Petridou said that in many cases, if prenatal tests are not taken, this will not result in giving birth to a child who will carry a serious disability or disease, but to a fully healthy child who will simply have a genetic predisposition. Such genetic predispositions can be identified in the majority of healthy population, she explained.
“Consequently, many pregnancies are terminated because of the results of these tests, and this is an issue which creates a number of serious bioethical questions”, she added.
Petridou clarified that the penal code of Cyprus offers women the right to proceed with an abortion in cases where “certain medical requirements are satisfied.”
Nevertheless, she pointed out that the protection of teenagers and young women from unwanted pregnancies is a broader problem and the competent authorities should take the appropriate measures to eliminate it.
 As regards artificial insemination, Petridou said that the Ministry of Health is currently processing a draft bill of law, which will provide the legal framework concerning issues related to artificial insemination.
She also noted that the new law “might provide for the creation of a donor's registry, which will offer the possibility, when necessary, to identify both the donor and the receiver, in cases where the child develops a genetic disease or is in need of a transplant.
Asked if an individual’s consent must be taken for granted, as far as organ donation is concerned, unless that individual had objected to such a prospect prior to his death, the President of CNBC said that if there is an intention to apply such a regulation, then “an extensive information campaign should be launched” in order to raise public awareness.
In order to increase organ donations, she added, it would be very useful to create a registry of organ donors, as this offers the opportunity to a person to voluntarily donate his organs “something which shows altruism and a society with high values,” she noted.
 On euthanasia, Petridou underlined that the “demand” for euthanasia could be eliminated if adequate palliative care could be offered to a patient at the end of his life. “Furthermore, we must always have in mind that every human being has the right to life with dignity at all its stages,” she stressed.
“The state and all the competent authorities are responsible to create such infrastructure that will allow a patient to enjoy palliative care, even when he is at the last stage of his life, and to end his life with dignity, relieved from pain, stress, agony, depression etc”, she said.
Asked if there is a correlation between the development of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and genetically modified food and the eruption of `nutritional scandals', Petridou referred to the recent opinion of the CNBC, that due to the genetic modifications of an organism, there is the possibility of changes in protein quantity and the composition of the GMO, changes to the metabolism of the GMO and finally, the development of new products or toxins by the GMO.
CNA/EMA/MM/2008
Cyprus FM: Greek Cypriot side attends direct talks with good will
 Cyprus Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou has said that the Greek Cypriot side is proceeding to direct talks with good will to help reach a political settlement and hopes that the Turkish Cypriot side will reciprocate.
In an interview with CNA, Kyprianou noted that the international community can play an important and supportive role to the whole process “without any interventions or pressure on the interlocutors.” Furthermore he said that the international community “can and has the responsibility to encourage, if not press Turkey, to contribute positively and constructively to the settlement in the Cyprus question.”
His remarks come two days before the start of direct negotiations between President Demetris Christofias and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community Mehmet Ali Talat, under UN auspices. The objective is to find an agreed solution which will reunite the country, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.
Kyprianou believes that the fundamental positions of the Greek Cypriot side - the protection and implementation of human rights for all citizens, securing the unity of the state and its smooth functioning – which promote the interests of both sides will be supported by the Turkish Cypriots as well.
“On issues in which there is a different approach, the necessary good will must be shown to achieve an agreement,” he pointed out.
With regard to the role of the EU in the new process, the Foreign Minister noted that
Brussels has “a significant influence” on the process, in spite of the fact that talks are taking place under UN auspices.
“Any settlement must be in line with the acquis communautaire and technical and political support of the EU will be important towards this direction,” he added.
The UN role, he added, will be to facilitate the interlocutors “and certainly not to intervene in the negotiation or act as an arbitrator.”
On the agenda of the talks, the Minister said that “there are no easy issues”, adding that all aspects of the Cyprus question are important and equally complicated. “Some have a particular importance and special difficulties, especially because of the importance given to them by Turkey,” he added.
He said that in some issues there was more progress achieved at the team of experts, which have been meeting in the past few months, to prepare the ground for Wednesday’s talks.
This, he explained, has facilitated the work of the two leaders, noting also that some issues have not even been discussed by the experts because the Turkish Cypriot side insisted on dealing with them at the direct talks.
“It is important that Turkey, as a fundamental player in the settlement of the Cyprus question, displays in practice a positive attitude, as expected by the EU as well. Turkey’s insistence on a settlement providing for two states in Cyprus, on maintaining the right of guarantee and on retaining troops on the island does not contribute to the achievement of a settlement, nor does its insistence on promoting and upgrading the status of the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime in occupied Cyprus, a few days before the beginning of the talks. Reiterating these positions, at present, does not give encouraging messages,” he stressed.
On the procedure of the talks, Kyprianou said this will be sorted out. He explained that regular meetings between President Christofias and Talat will take place, but not on a daily basis, in parallel with the work of the Working Groups which will deal with issues referred to them by the two leaders.
Earlier this year, the two community leaders set up bicommunal teams of experts - seven technical committees and six working groups – to prepare the ground for substantive negotiations, through discussions on day to day concerns as well as substantive issues, including governance, EU matters, the economy, health and environmental issues, property and territory.
With regard to new diplomatic missions of Cyprus abroad, the Foreign Minister said that in the coming years special emphasis will be given to countries outside the European Union, friendly countries which have special political and economic significance for Cyprus.
“In the coming years, we shall give more emphasis on diplomatic missions in countries outside Europe. Our ultimate goal is to gradually enhance existing diplomatic missions as I believe one man missions cannot respond fully to the job that needs to be done,” he said.
Asked if Nicosia will open an embassy in Cuba, Kyprianou said that Cyprus has had diplomatic relations with Cuba for decades and will not be the first EU country to open an embassy in Havana as many EU member states already have an embassy there.
“Cuba is one of the more firm supporters of the just struggle of Cyprus. The opening of an embassy in Cuba should not annoy any of Cyprus’ friends. On the contrary our presence there can help on many issues,” he said.
Referring the Organisation of Islamic Conference, Kyprianou said there are continuous efforts to iron out some problems with the OIC, an organization in which Turkey is very active and Cyprus is absent.
“We give special emphasis on strengthening bilateral relations with members of the Islamic Conference and especially with traditionally friendly countries which we may have neglected during the past years,” he said.
On July 25 Christofias and Talat decided to start full-fledged negotiations on September 3, with the aim to reach a ''mutually accepted solution to the Cyprus problem which will safeguard the fundamental and legitimate rights and interests of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots''.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.
CNA/MK/MM/2008
Destruction of churhes in Turkish-occupied Cyprus
 Chairman of the Kykkos Monastery Museum Stelios Perdikis and Byzantine specialist Charalambos Hodjakoglu have deplored the destruction of the Saint Catherine church in Karpasia, in the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus.
Speaking during a press conference to present a publication titled ''The religious monuments in Turkish occupied Cyprus. Views and actions of a continuing devastation'', Hodjakoglu said the church was razed in May and, according to Turkish Cypriot testimonies, the aim was to use the debris for works on buildings being erected in Trikomo village.''
''This is happening at a time when we have started a process to solve the Cyprus problem, while a technical committee has been set up for cultural heritage issues. It is not the only church razed intentionally,'' he said, adding that the timing of the recent destruction ''takes on a different dimension and leads to disappointment about the future.''
 Perdikis said the Kykkos Monastery Museum is in contact with the chairman and the members of the technical committee on cultural heritage, who have been informed on the case of Saint Catherine church.
Hodjakoglu showed photographs of the destruction during the press conference, noting that the Kykkos Monastery had recorded the church through the programme to list religious sites in the Turkish occupied areas, after crossing points were opened five years ago.
He said the information about the razing of Saint Catherine church in the village of Gerani, situated 27 km north of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, was collected a few days ago and that a delegation visited the area to assess the damage and photograph the site, which was reduced to a heap of debris.
 Behind the church, which was built at the entrance of the village, there was a cemetery, which has also been destroyed.
Perdikis noted that the 16th century church, which was in a bad state before being demolished, had been desecrated during the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island. Icons, artifacts, doors, windows and other items had been stolen from the church, but the bell tower with its bell and cross remained intact. The roof of the church had fallen in and the walls were either cracked or sloping.
''This monument was very important for the archaeological development in Cyprus,'' he said, adding that ''it maintained important architectural elements on the influence of gothic monuments on the architecture of that period.''
Perdikis said there are three other churches in the Turkish occupied village of Gerani, those of Saint George and Evangelistria, which are in ruins, and that of Saint Mamas, which has been turned into a mosque.
The book presented at the press conference is the result of many years of research carried out by the Kykkos Monastery Museum and refers to the condition of the churches, monasteries and chapels in the Turkish occupied areas.
 The luxurious publication is already available in Greek and English, and an Italian version will soon be published. An exhibition of photographs gathered by Hodjakoglu's team is currently being presented in Salonica and will be later moved to Italy.
Perdikis said the book is part of the research on Byzantine and post-Byzantine archaeology and art, which the Museum has established.
He added that the author, Hodjakoglu, is a ''young and brilliant scientist,'' with origins in Smyrna, Asia Minor, a second generation refugee, who worked at the Cyprus University as a professor of Byzantine Archaeology and Art, and for the past few years has been employed by the Kykkos Monastery Museum.
Perdikis noted that efforts to list religious sites in the Turkish occupied areas were difficult and at times dangerous but resulted in a unique list of monuments. He said the state has still to draw up such an archive, although it has the mechanisms to do so.
 According to Perdikis, the book is addressed to scientists and the public, and contains an archive of 20,000 photographs from all churches, monasteries and chapels in the Turkish occupied areas, except those within Turkish military zones.
The seven chapters of the book include the use of religious monuments for purposes other than those intended, as well as the condition of Ottoman mosques in the government-controlled areas of the Republic.
Perdikis said the author presents ''the flip side of the coin,'' that is how the state treats, maintains and restores mosques in the government-controlled areas, through the Department of Antiquities.
The churches that have been salvaged in the Turkish occupied areas are those of Archangel Michael in Kyrenia, Saint Mamas in Morphou, the Virgin Mary in Trikomo, and Saint Barnabas in Salamina. Some of them have been turned into museums.
''Most churches are on the verge of ruin,'' Perdikis said, pointing out that they are in poor condition, are being razed or are collapsing, while others have been desecrated or turned into mosques. He pointed out that those that have been turned into mosques are in a better state, since they are being preserved.
 Perdikis noted that the book lists the religious monuments that are being used as barns, warehouses, barracks and even a morgue, which is ''the small mediaeval chapel of the Savior in the village of Chrysilios in Morphou, where the bodies are placed on the church's bethel, among coffins.''
In the chapter on antiquity smugglers, Perdikis said there is data on the removal of Byzantine murals, mosaics and other artifacts, many of which have not yet been found.
Asked if he had any information about hundreds of icons in storage at the Castle of Kyrenia, Perdikis said most are part of a collection for the creation of a Byzantine museum, and others from a laboratory to preserve icons and ancient documents.
''The Turks found them all together and took them there. No one knows how many of those icons are in storage at the Castle of Kyrenia and how many have been stolen or sold or taken to Turkey,'' he added.
Hodjakoglu pointed out that destruction in the Turkish occupied areas was not restricted to Greek Orthodox churches, but those of other dogmas, such as Roman Catholic, Protestant, Maronite and even Jewish monuments. ''We present this in the book in order to show that there is a conflict, not only against the Orthodox, but anything not Moslem,'' he said.
 He added that the problem is that, as time goes by without progress in the Cyprus problem or the committee discussing these issues, the condition of the monuments will further deteriorate.
Replying to questions, Perdikis said there was cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture, which has called on the students to visit the exhibition accompanied by their teachers, and that a special programme has been prepared for junior school teachers to better explain the destruction to the children.
The cover of the book depicts Saint Catherine church. Hodjakoglu said the photograph was chosen by Bishop of Kykkos and Tylliria Nikiforos with ''a strange visionary charisma during the same period the monument was to be demolished.''
The book was sponsored by Kykkos Monastery and is sold at the price of 11 euros.
CNA/RPA/RG/GCH/2008
Baritone John Modinos - Interview
 Baritone John Modinos started his journey for the US at the age of 18 with nothing but the Byzantine music he had learnt from his priest father. He studied for many years and made his debut at the New York Opera.
Today, more mature and calmer than ever, he spends most of his time in Greece and, in an interview with CNA, says it is time for Cyprus to have its own opera house, for the creation of which he is ready to provide his experience and his love for young artists who have something to say and need a place to cultivate their talent.
Looking back, Modinos remembers his childhood in the village of Omodos, where he learnt Byzantine music before even learning how to read.
 ''That was the beginning and the end. I left at the age of 18, went to America, where I studied. That is where I made my debut, at the New York Opera, and that is where my fifty-year career began,'' he said.
His career will be celebrated this year with a special event at the National Opera House of Greece. Modinos was the first artist to become Director of the National Opera House. Furthermore, the book ''John Modinos: A myth dressed in melody'' by Panos Kaloudas will be released in September.
Asked if young people today appreciate the world of opera, Modinos said ''Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras opened the way to the wider public.”
He said young people wishing to follow in his steps should find a teacher who knows how to teach, not be self-centered, study hard and not be in a hurry.
''Rome was not built in a day. All this needs patience and work,'' he pointed out, adding that a singer of opera should also be able to remain calm.
 Asked what he felt every time the curtain fell, Modinos said it depended on his role. In Rigoletto, which he performed 223 times all over the world, ''I cry because I find my daughter slaughtered by my own hands and it takes me a while to compose myself.'' In the Barber of Seville, which is a ''lovely, funny and lively'' role, Modinos says he is always in good spirits.
On contemporary Greek music, Modinos says he follows art-song, which he teaches along with classic-song.
Modinos was in Cyprus to participate in a charity event for children with cancer, noting his sensitivity for children.
He said that after the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island, he sang for the children of Cyprus all over the world, to express his grief.
Modinos also recorded a CD with 22 songs for UNICEF children.
CNA/AAG/RG/MM/2008
Cyprus home to Europe's last ancient dwarf hippopotami
 Ayia Napa's Municipal Council will proceed with the construction of a shelter to house the new findings that were unearthed in the region which show dwarf hippopotami, scientifically called ''Phanurios minor,'' which, as a Greek Paleontologist points out, are the last to be discovered in Europe and the Mediterranean.
Ayia Napa Mayor Antonis Tsokkos told CNA that the Municipal Council is committed to erect a shelter on site as well as a path which will allow the locals and tourists to visit the site and get a close look at these findings.
''We have already given instructions to the Municipal engineer to design the shelter and when the plans are finalized, they will be presented to the Municipal Council for approval,'' he said.
These hippos are believed to have arrived in Cyprus some 250,000 years ago. They came from the region of Alexandretta, which at that time was the closest land to the island of Cyprus.
 The new findings were discovered at a site in Ayia Napa in the Famagusta district, in southeastern Cyprus, during an excavation carried out by a twelve-member team of the University of Athens Historic Geology and Paleontology Faculty, under the supervision of Deputy Professor George Theodorou and Geologist Ioannis Panagides, Senior official of the Cyprus Geological Survey Department.
This is not the first time that fossils of dwarf hippopotami of prehistoric age were discovered in Cyprus, since both Theodorou and Panagides say that there are over 40 sites on the island which present fossils of this prehistoric species. Cyprus used to be home to dwarf elephants (elephant Cypriotes) as well as ancient bats and rats.
British Paleontologist, Dorothea Bate, was the first to discover the Phanurios minor and the Elephant Cypriotes during an expedition to the island in 1902-1904 when she found large numbers of fossils, from which she was able to assemble a complete skeleton of a dwarf hippo. This skeleton was on show in London's Natural History Museum until 1970.
 What is important from the fossils discovered in the October excavation is that the dwarf hippos are ''the last to be discovered in Europe,'' the Greek paleontologist says.
Dwarf hippos were also discovered in Crete, Sardinia, Telos, Corsica and Sicily. ''The hippos of Cyprus are the last European hippos,'' Theodorou told CNA.
According to the Greek Paleontologist, these hippos lived in an era very close to the time when humans came to Cyprus. ''Our effort is to connect this material with the climate change, the presence of man with the changes on the environment in that era,'' he added.
This is the importance of this discovery, the connection between these beasts and the climate change on earth. ''This study shows the prehistoric climate development,'' Panagides said, noting that 18,000 years ago we had the coldest era and the sea was lower by 100 metres, thus making Cyprus' area 12,000 square miles instead of the 9,000 it is today.
 So the dwarf hippos had to adapt to these circumstances. They became smaller in size measuring 1.5 metres in length and 0.75 m. in height to cope with Cyprus' mountainous terrain.
Also their snout was lower compared to a modern-day hippo, while they also present differences in their jaw, the position of their eyes and their feet, differences which show that they were mostly able to walk rather than swim.
According to Panagides, these differences could assist Paleontologists to assess the climate change through the years.
''As the archaeologist gathers clues to assess history, so we gather clues from geology and paleontology to record the earth's natural history,'' he said, giving an example that 700,000 years ago a river was situated in the Kakkaristra area of Latsia, a commercial centre south of Cyprus' capital, Nicosia.
Theodorou says that Cyprus is rich in the field of paleontology with forty sights in which dwarf hippos and elephants were discovered, noting that both the elephants and the hippos present the phenomenon of nanism, that is to adapt to the conditions of the land they migrated to.
 ''This phenomenon is observed only in four regions in the world, namely the Mediterranean, Indonesia, Japan and California USA,'' he said, adding that Cyprus with its forty sights, along with Crete and Sicily, are the richest areas concerning this phenomenon.
Furthermore, the excavations in Ayia Napa unearthed an endemic species, scientifically termed ''Genetta Plesictoides,'' an animal resembling to a cat with a smaller jaw.
Both Theodorou and Panagides point out the need for a shelter to be constructed on site which will allow visitors, locals and tourists, to see these findings, that bear witness to Cyprus' ancient past.
''Apart from the scientific findings which are recorded and announced in paleontology conferences, there should be something for the Cypriots, for our children to see the transformation of the environment and the animals which used to live here and are now extinct,'' Theodorou noted.
CNA/GS/GP/2007
Cyprus Church launches protest campaign for occupied sites
 The Church of Cyprus is protesting strongly the continuing plundering of religious sites, in the Turkish- occupied northern part of the country, condemning the ongoing desecration of Christian churches, some of which have been converted to mosques, military camps, hen houses, mortuaries or silos.
As experts record the overall looting campaign in the past three decades, since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, with about 550 churches desecrated, between 15-20,000 icons missing, believed to be stolen or sold on the black market, a well orchestrated and concerted effort is underway to protest at all international fora this situation.
 “We have embarked on a crusade to inform world public opinion through every available means - lectures, literary material, personal contacts, diplomatic channels - presenting indisputable evidence which has been corroborated through careful and professional research carried out on the matter,” Charalambos Hotzakoglu, archaeologist by profession and an expert in Byzantine art working for the museum of the Kykko Monastery, has told CNA in an interview.
He said the goal is to save these religious sites, a task vehemently opposed by the Turkish side which claims that all sites now belong to the Moslem religious foundation EVKAF.
Researchers of the Kykko Monastery, who have visited and photographed some 550 churches in occupied Cyprus, say that 50 of them are now military camps - the church of Virgin Mary Axeropiitou in Lambousa village, Agios Panteleimonas in Mirtou village, the church and monastery of Agia Anastasia in Lapithos village is now a luxury hotel complex, the monastery of Agios Panteleimonas is used as a fuel depot and the church of Sotiros in Chrysiliou village in Morphou district now serves as a mortuary.
 “The sight is shocking with bodies lying on the holy altar, it was a hair raising experience for me to have witnessed such practices in a Christian church,” Hotzakoglu said, stressing the need to begin restoring these churches, having established beyond any reasonable doubt and with convincing evidence the scale of the destruction.
Another church, that of Agios Georgios Exorinos in Famagusta is now a theatre and the church of Agios Loukas in Lapithos village has been turned into a dance studio.
“Having all this in mind, it is imperative that we move quickly to restore our churches and to this effect we have already asked the help of experts from abroad, including informing Pope Benedict XVI to whom President Tassos Papadopoulos has given a three-volume publication recording the obliteration of our religious heritage, pointing out at the same time that this matter does not concern Orthodoxy alone but other religious denominations too,” Hotzakoglu told CNA.
 There can be little doubt as to who is responsible for this unscrupulous looting, which is none other than the occupying power Turkey that nurtures aspirations to join the European Union where respect of religious and other human rights is a prerequisite for accession, he points out.
Initial indications from the occupation regime to UN calls to help restore the Christian churches and other religious sites has been “steadfastly negative,” he says with regret.
Responding to questions, he said should restoration work begin, with the consent of the occupation regime, an agreement must be reached to ensure that this project is carried through on the basis of certain principles and safeguards.
 “We have no intention of channeling millions of pounds to the occupied areas towards this goal, only to find out at a later stage that the occupation regime turns round to claim these sites as theirs or to see them used according to their whims,” he added, stressing that the leadership of the Turkish Cypriots must acknowledge the ownership and sovereignty of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, which is an autocephalous church enjoying special privileges other churches in Christian Orthodoxy do not.
The Byzantine experts said that the survey has established that what the regime describes as “well maintained” churches is in fact churches which have been turned into museums, to serve the tourist industry, whereas other churches now used as mosques, Moslem places of worship, are kept in good working order as far as the actual building is concerned.
 On the big issue of illicit art dealing of religious arte facts from the occupied areas, Hotzakoglu said there is a well organized attempt by the Turkish military to remove from churches priceless frescoes and icons, many of which find their way to black markets abroad.
He said once a theft is reported, we have to locate the stolen items and begin a legal battle to prove, if need be, that these belong to the Church of Cyprus and eventually repatriate these items.
Such religious arte facts have been found in the possession of a Turkish illicit art dealer Aydin Dikmen and were eventually located in a Texas museum, which now have to be repartriated.
 Another case concerned the return, after lengthy legal proceedings, of four mosaics from the church of the Virgin Mary tis Kanakarias in the village of Lythrangomi, dating back to 520-530 AD, found in the possession of an American art dealer.
Replying to questions about mosques in the government-controlled areas of the Republic, he said there is a restoration project, drafted on the basis of respect of religious freedom. He pointed out that Ankara has to follow suit and act in a similar manner.
“We are not politicians, we want to resolve this religious issue that concerns the cultural heritage and we are ready to overcome the past. If they feel they belong to this land, as they say they do, they ought to move on through cooperation with us,” he said.
He explained that restoration work can only proceed once archaeological studies are carried out, statistical surveys and plans, including costs.
Hotzakoglu said that one of the problems the researchers team had to face was the absence of a proper list of churches, temples, monasteries, small and big, as they existed prior to the Turkish invasion. A huge effort was undertaken to recover this information, corroborate it and record it, he explained, adding that photographs taken from occupied churches have now been matched with the corresponding church they belong to.
“At present we are working on a multi-language publication, aimed at the public at large and not the specialist expert, outlining the research we have carried out and once this is done then we shall publish a multi-volume publication to include photographic material and all date we have collected relating to this ambitious research,” he concluded.
CNA AAG/MM/GP/2007
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