WRITTEN QUESTION E-1044/98 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (6 April 1998)

Subject: Conversion of an Armenian Monastery into a hotel in the occupied part of Cyprus

The Turkish-Cypriot authorities have decided to allow a private individual to run the tenth-century Armenian Monastery of Aghios Mangar as a hotel.

This recent decision by the Turkish-Cypriot administration follows its scandalous disregard for the persistent looting of religious and historical artefacts in the occupied part of Cyprus and is an insult to religious sentiment and an act of provocation directed at the Armenian Orthodox Church and the 4000 or so Armenians living in the free part of the island.

This action provocatively disregards the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (the Loizidou judgment on property in the occupied territories), since it allows this historic monastery which is the property of the Armenian Church to be turned into a profit-making enterprise.

What measures does the Commission intend to take to prevent this decision by the Turkish-Cypriot authorities to convert the historic Armenian Monastery into a hotel from going ahead? How does it intend to ensure that the judgment by the European Court of Human Rights on property in the occupied territories is respected?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (24 April 1998)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written question No E-968/98 by Mrs Daskalaki ((See page 100. )).