P6_TA(2006)0335

The protection and preservation of the religious heritage in the northern part of Cyprus

Declaration of the European Parliament on the protection and preservation of the religious heritage in the northern part of Cyprus

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Article 151 of the EC Treaty,

- having regard to Rule 116 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas, according to Article 151 of the EC Treaty, the Community shall promote the cultural heritage of its Member States while respecting their national and regional diversity,

B. whereas since 1974 the government of the Republic of Cyprus has been unable to exercise control over the northern part of Cyprus and to ensure respect for the provisions of Article 151,

C. whereas more than 133 churches, chapels and monasteries that are located in the northern part of Cyprus and have been controlled by the Turkish army since 1974 have been desecrated, 78 churches have been converted into mosques, 28 are used as military depots and hospitals and 13 are used as stockyards, and whereas their ecclesiastical items, including more than 15000 icons, have been illegally removed and their location remains unknown,

1. Condemns the pillage of Greek Orthodox churches and monasteries and the removal of their ecclesiastical items;

2. Calls on the Commission and the Council to take the necessary actions to ensure respect for the Treaty and the protection and restoration of the affected churches to their original Greek Orthodox status;

3. Calls on the Commission and the Council to examine this matter under the relevant chapters of the negotiations with Turkey;

4. Instructs its President to forward this declaration, together with the names of the signatories, to the Commission and the Council.

Names of signatories

Adamou, Albertini, Allister, Alvaro, Andria, Andrikienė, Angelilli, Antoniozzi, Arnaoutakis, Ashworth, Atkins, Audy, Auken, Ayala Sender, Aylward, Ayuso González, Bachelot-Narquin, Badía i Cutchet, Barón Crespo, Barsi-Pataky, Battilocchio, Batzeli, Bauer, Beaupuy, Becsey, Beglitis, Belet, Belohorská, Beňová, Berend, Berger, Berlato, Birutis, Blokland, Bobošíková, Böge, Bonde, Bonsignore, Borghezio, Bowis, Braghetto, Brejc, Brepoels, Brunetta, van Buitenen, Bullmann, Busuttil, Buzek, Calabuig Rull, Camre, Carnero González, Carollo, Casa, Casaca, CasiniCaspary, Castiglione, del Castillo Vera, Catania, Cavada, Cederschiöld, Chatzimarkakis, Chruszcz, Claeys, Cocilovo, Coelho, Corbett, Correia, Costa, Coûteaux, Coveney, Crowley, Czarnecki M., Daul, de Brún, Dehaene, Demetriou, De Michelis, Deprez, De Rossa, Descamps, Dess, De Veyrac, Díaz De Mera García Consuegra, Didžiokas, Díez González, Dimitrakopoulos, Dobolyi, Dombrovskis, Doorn, Dover, Doyle, Duka-Zólyomi, Ebner, Elles, Esteves, Estrela, Ettl, Eurlings, Fatuzzo, Ferber, Fernandes, Figueiredo, Flasarová, Fontaine, Fourtou, Fraga Estévez, Freitas, Friedrich, Gahler, Gál, Gaľa, Galeote Quecedo, García Pérez, Gargani, Garriga Polledo, Gaubert, Gauzès, Gawronski, Gentvilas, Geremek, Geringer de Oedenberg, Gewalt, Gibault, Giertych, Gklavakis, Glattfelder, Goepel, Gollnisch, Gomes, Gomolka, Goudin, Grabowska, Graça Moura, Grässle, de Grandes Pascual, Grech, Griesbeck, Grosch, Grossetête, Gruber, Guardans Cambó, Guellec, Guerreiro, Guidoni, Gurmai, Gutiérrez-Cortines, Gyürk, Hammerstein Mintz, Handzlik, Harbour, Harkin, Hatzidakis, Henin, Hennicot-Schoepges, Herranz García, Higgins, Hökmark, Hoppenstedt, Hudacký, Hudghton, Hutchinson, Hybášková, Ilves, Itälä, Iturgaiz Angulo, Jäätteenmäki, Jałowiecki, Járóka, Jarzembowski, Jeggle, Jordan Cizelj, Kaczmarek, Karas, Karatzaferis, Kasoulides, Kaufmann, Kauppi, Kelam, Klamt, Klass, Klich, Klinz, Koch, Kohlíček, Konrad, Korhola, Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Krehl, Krupa, Kuc, Kułakowski, Kušķis, Kużmiuk, Lamassoure, Lambrinidis, Landsbergis, Langen, Laperrouze, La Russa, Lehideux, Lehne, Leinen, Le Pen J.-M., Lewandowski, Liberadzki, Libicki, Liese, Liotard, López-Istúriz White, Losco, Louis, Ludford, Lulling, Maat, McDonald, McGuinness, Maldeikis, Mann T., Manolakou, Mantovani, Markov, Marques, Martens, Martinez, Martínez Martínez, Masiel, Masip Hidalgo, Maštálka, Matsakis, Matsis, Matsouka, Mauro, Mavrommatis, Mayer, Mayor Oreja, Medina Ortega, Méndez de Vigo, Meyer Pleite, Mikolášik, Millán Mon, Mitchell, Montoro Romero, Moreno Sánchez, Mote, Musacchio, Muscardini, Muscat, Musotto, Mussolini, Musumeci, Nassauer, Nattrass, Nicholson, Nicholson of Winterbourne, Niebler, van Nistelrooij, Novak, Obiols i Germà, Occhetto, Olajos, Olbrycht, Ó Neachtain, Onesta, Onyszkiewicz, Oomen-Ruijten, Ortuondo Larrea, Őry, Ouzký, Oviir, Pack, Pafilis, Paleckis, Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Papadimoulis, Papastamkos, Parish, Patriciello, Peterle, Pieper, Pīks, Pinheiro, Piotrowski, Pirilli, Pirker, Pittella, Pleguezuelos Aguilar, Pleštinská, Podestà, Podkański, Poettering, Pomés Ruiz, Portas, Posdorf, Posselt, Prets, Prodi, Protasiewicz, Purvis, Queiró, Quisthoudt-Rowohl, Rack, Ransdorf, Remek, Reul, Ribeiro e Castro, Riera Madurell, Ries, Rivera, Rogalski, Roithová, Romagnoli, Roszkowski, Rothe, Rouček, Rübig, Rutowicz, Ryan, Saïfi, Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Salinas García, Salvini, Samaras, Sánchez Presedo, Sartori, Saryusz-Wolski, Schierhuber, Schmitt, Schöpflin, Schröder, Schwab, Seeber, Seeberg, Siekierski, Sifunakis, Silva Peneda, Sinnott, Sjöstedt, Sommer, Sonik, Sornosa Martínez, Spautz, Staniszewska, Šťastný, Sterckx, Stevenson, Stubb, Sudre, Surján, Svensson, Swoboda, Szájer, Szymański, Tajani, Tannock, Tarabella, Tarand, Tatarella, Thyssen, Toia, Tomczak, Toubon, Toussas, Trakatellis, Triantaphyllides, Tzampazi, Uca, Ulmer, Vakalis, Vanhecke, Varela Suanzes-Carpegna, Varvitsiotis, Vatanen, Veneto, Ventre, Vergnaud, Vernola, Vidal-Quadras Roca, de Villiers, Vincenzi, Vlasák, Vlasto, Voggenhuber, Wagenknecht, Weber M., Weisgerber, von Wogau, Wojciechowski B., Wojciechowski J., Wortmann-Kool, Wurtz, Wynn, Xenogiannakopoulou, Yañez-Barnuevo García, Záborská, Zaleski, Zapałowski, Zappala', Ždanoka, Zieleniec, Zimmer, Zvěřina, Zwiefka

--------------------------------------------------