Announcements: SDHP Cyprus

	Yesterday, 9 OCT 2005 Parliamentary elections took place in Cyprus for the Armenian seat that was vacant after the death of Bedros Kalaydjian. SDHP supported candidate Dr. Vahakn Atamian secured 52% of the votes and won the elections to become the new Armenian MP in Cyprus. His main rival Dr Ashdjian secured 44%. More details to Follow..... 22/05/2005: As a result of turning St Magar Monastry into coffee shop, Social Democrat Hunchakian Party's Cyprus executive committee issued a comminique and sent to UNESCO, European Parliament, UN Security council, Republic of Cyprus and Replublic of Armenia demanding immediate interferance to end sacrileges committed by the Turkish occupation regime............more 18/04/2005: SDHP CYPRUS DECLEARTION ON ARMENIAN CEMETERY...............more top
	22/05/2005 As a result of turning St Magar Monastry into coffee shop, Social Democrat Hunchakian Party's Cyprus executive committee issued a comminique and sent to UNESCO, European Parliament, UN Security council, Republic of Cyprus and Replublic of Armenia demanding immediate interferance to end sacrileges committed by the Turkish occupation regime. Communiqué With deep indignation we learned from the local press that the historic Armenian Monastery, St Magar, in the Turkish occupied Kyrenia Mountains, has been sacrileged by the occupation regime, by turning it into a coffee shop. These sacrileges committed by the Turkish occupation regime, against the cultural heritage and against the holy places remind us, the Armenians and the Greek Cypriots, of Turkey’s deliberate policy of destroying and devastating what is Christian in general and what are Armenian and Greek in particular. As a result of this systematic destruction policy, today churches and monuments in the occupied part of Cyprus and western Armenia have been sacrileged and turned into sheep-pen, hayloft, barn or coffee shop, or in more fortunate cases they had been turned into mosques. It is a great surprise, Turkey on the one hand knocks, τhe EU door in order to become member of that large family which is based on respect for human rights, rule of law and cultural pluralism and on the other hand it continues unabated to destroy and sacrilege churches, monasteries and historic monuments, and violating the minority rights. This is the vivid example of Turkey’s contradiction of what it says and what it practises. Therefore, we strongly condemn the sacrilege committed against the St Magar Monastery by turning it into a coffee shop. We urge the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Cyprus, the UN Security Council, the European Parliament and UNESCO to act in a firm and decisive manner to stop the sacrilege of the St Magar Monastery and help to return it to its legitimate owners, to the Armenian community in Cyprus. Executive committee Social Democrat Hunchakian Party Nicosia - Cyprus 22 May 2005 top ---------------------------------------------------------
	SDHP CYPRUS DECLEARTION ON ARMENIAN CEMETERY 18/04/05 Declaration Unfortunately, the indifference and negligence exhibited towards our national values and heritage is becoming widespread and contagious, from fatherland to Diaspora, from educational institutions to ecclesiastic establishments. Everywhere the trend is the same. The last victim of this indifference was our old Armenian Cemetery situated near the Green Line in the heart of Nicosia. On April 16, 2005 the bulldozers invaded this calm historic Armenian sanctuary and within hours they destroyed 300 years of history. The cemetery was established in 1700 and served until 1930. Hundreds of people had been laid to rest. The tombs, the tombstones and graves in an unbecoming manner were destroyed. The graves opened and remains of our ancestors were scattered around. Part of our history in Cyprus was put to death. It was open sacrilege. There was no priest to conduct the religious rite as stipulated by the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church for the removal of remains. Only handful of Armenians was present there, protesting and scorning. Thanks to the president of the Republic and the competent minister's intervention, further sacrilege was halted. We the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party Chapter in Cyprus strongly condemn this sacrilege and demands that due respect should be given to them. We also demand from the Armenian Prelature, and the competent bodies of the Prelature to account for their action with a public statement. Social Democrat Hunchakian Party's Cyprus Chapter top ---------------------------------------------------------