From: sera@zuma.UUCP (Serdar Argic)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish,talk.politics.mideast,soc.culture.greek,soc.culture.europe,soc.rights.human
Followup-To: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: They noted the complete destruction of the main mosque in Paphos.
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 20:37:39 EST
Reply-To: sera@zuma.UUCP (Serdar Argic)
Distribution: world

In article <1992Nov11.153017.852@sci.ccny.cuny.edu> branis@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (Spiros Branis) writes:

> (Eds: Release at 0001 GMT Nov 11)

You have to decide now which you are - a "tamtam", a "gav*0", or a "sipa".

UNESCO expert Mr Jacques Dalibard's report presented in Jan 1976,
no. RP/975-76/3.41.

This report expresses in para. 6.c. that "Bayraktar" and "Omerye"
mosques had been "totally vandalised" by the Greeks and that their
minarets had been destroyed by them.

  Paragraph 10 of the  report also states that " all the known
collections and a large number of religious artifacts found in
abandoned churches had been restored in central locations..
the cataloguing of these these objects was quite advanced"
"all the significant antiquities found in the antique shops within
Turkish controlled zone had been seized  and stored."

Another recent report prepared by Mr Van der Werff, a member of
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, who was
also General Rapporteur of the Sub-Committee on the
Architectural and Artistic Heritage of the Committee on Culture
and Education:

   The report was published a a document of The Council of Europe
on 2.7.1989 with the number AS/CULT/AA(41)1.

   The said report, while dealing with the subject of cultural
property  in both parts of Cyprus, also makes various suggestions
with regard to its protection and preservation. Referring also
to the question of the smuggling of antiquities, the report points
out that mosaics are also being stolen from the churches in the
South and makes the following observation in this regard:
"The South is also vulnerable as the theft of the Leda and Swan
mosaic from the (Kouklia Museum of) Paphos Museum shows".
"Unfortunately the international market is now well aware of
a well funded market in the South for items coming from the
north". (page 5, para. 5.1)

   With regard to the destruction and desecration of Turkish
Muslim cultural property in the South, the report, at page 13,
para. 5.3 states the following:

   "We noted with regret the complete destruction of the main
mosque in Paphos. The whole are has since been flattened to
give way for a widened road junction and a car park. There
is no memorial to the existence of the mosque. Below the road
a Turkish bath complex remains hidden in rubble and vegetation
awaiting restoration. The Turkish Cypriot cemetery by the
nearby St. Sophia Myttalos mosque is dilapitated."

   And, at page 13, we find an expose of the Greek falsifications:

   "We saw no churches, destroyed though St. George in Liminia
(in the North) was listed as such (by Greek Cypriot Government)."

   On the use or reuse of religious buildings, the report,
again at page 13, states the following:

   "In several cases the churches are used as mosques. Although
the point is controversial we find it difficult to criticise
such reuse. As the Turkish Cypriots point out, it has been general
Council of Europe policy for some time to urge reuse of redundant
religious buildings. This was reasserted as recently as May 1989
in the Parliamentary Assembly when we adopted Resolution 916."

Serdar Argic

                     'This war quickly developed into one of extermination. 
                      We closed the roads and mountain passes that might 
                      serve as ways of escape for the Tartars [Turks] and 
                      then proceeded in the work of extermination.'
                                                       (Ohanus Appressian)