Tatar: Spirit of Eoka ‘still alive’ in South
THE spirit of the Greek Cypriot terrorist organisation Eoka is “still alive” in South Cyprus, President Ersin Tatar said after footage of Greek Orthodox priests receiving firearms training was widely shared last week.
The footage showed a group of priests from Protaras in the South, in full robes, firing automatic weapons at targets from the backs of armoured pick-up trucks.
They had been invited by the Greek Cypriot National Guard to take part in the training, as part of a public relations drive, reports said.
The priests were also seen firing pistols and other automatic rifles from standing positions, with the most accurate shooters being given awards for their talents.
While the story amused some, the images alarmed many Turkish Cypriots, as the militarisation of priests evoked memories of the Greek Orthodox Church’s role in the unsuccessful armed campaign for Cyprus to be annexed by Greece in the 20th century, and the violence that much of that campaign entailed, particularly towards Turkish Cypriots.
Among those offended by the scenes was President Ersin Tatar, who told Turkey’s TRT Haber news channel that the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus had played a “leading role” in the activities of Eoka, established in the 1950s to rid the island of the British — and later Turkish Cypriots — in a bid to achieve “Enosis”, the unification of Cyprus and Greece.
“It played a part in the establishment of Eoka, provided funds, and supported the attacks and genocides against the Turkish Cypriot people, and forced Turkish Cypriots to migrate,” Mr Tatar said.
“The religion and racism of the Greek Cypriots are at the highest level. The same mentality continues today. The Church sees Cyprus as a Hellenic island.”
Mr Tatar noted that “it is said that there is a gun in every house in South Cyprus” before going on to criticise the federal model for a solution on the island, saying: “This is the game they are playing; establishing a partnership on a federal basis in Cyprus and the entry of both peoples into the European Union, and therefore the extermination of the Turkish Cypriots by removing Turkey from the island.
“The Republic of Turkey has never allowed this, and will not. The Republic of Turkey is a guarantor country, and its presence on the island is very important . . . In this context, we will not allow any mentality that strives to destroy the Turkish Cypriots, neither in the ‘Blue Homeland’, nor in the Eastern Mediterranean, nor on the island.”
The TRNC Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday that said: “It is not surprising that the Greek Orthodox Church, which has done its best to keep alive the feelings of hostility towards the Turkish presence on the island, is involved in such a provocative activity.
“We condemn in the strongest terms this target practice, which even included awards for the priests who were the best shooters.”