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Greek Orthodox Church Bombed In Northern Cyprus
A bomb exploded early Friday near a Greek Orthodox church in Turkish northern Cyrpus where a controversial Mass is due to be celebrated next week, causing damage but no injuries, police said. The explosion occured at the disused Saint Mamas church in Guzelyurt, or Morphou, some 30 kilometres (18 miles) west of the capital Nicosia, where Greek Cypriots are planning to hold an Orthodox Mass for the saint's feast day next Thursday for the first time in 30 years. Windows, a door and the roof of the church were damaged and windows in several neighbouring shops were blown off by the force of the blast at around 3:30 am (0030 GMT). A Molotov cocktail was also hurled at the church facade, according to the Turkish Cypriot news agency TAK. The decision to allow the Mass, and an evening service the previous day, to celebrate Saint Mamas Day, feast of the town's patron saint, was part of the rapprochement between Greeks and Turks, but was fiercely opposed by Rauf Denktash, leader of the breakaway Turkish statelet. "The arrival of thousands of Greek Cypriots .. and their wish to return every Sunday constitutes a serious provocation towards Turkish Cypriots," Denktash said earlier this week. "They have many churches on their own side of the island," Denktash added, calling the celebration of the Mass "a political act" by the Greek Cypriot government "to which we must react without violence." Posted by: TS(vice girl) 2004-08-27 |
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