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Outrage for Archbishop’s attendance at
Erdogan’s fiesta
Outrage was caused when Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox
Church in America, Elpidoforos attended a ceremony last week
for the opening of the Turkevi Centre presided over by Turkish
President Recep Tayip Erdogan in New York at the presence of
the illegitimate president of the pseudo state in occupied Cyprus
Ersin Tatar.
According to reports, the Turkevi Centre, will become the
headquarters for the promotion of Turkey’s strategic interests in
the world. It will house the UN’s permanent mission of Turkey
and the Turkish Consulate General.
However, according to the Greek Reporter in the USA,
Elpidophoros’ presence at the ceremony provoked strong
reactions by the Greek and Armenian communities. The
Armenian National Committee of America said in Twitter:
“Shunned by the DC establishment (hawks, doves, and everyone
in between) – desperately seeking allies – Erdogan recruits
Azerbaijani diplomats, representatives of the illegal Turkish
occupation force in Cyprus, and the Greek Orthodox Church for
this staged photo op in NYC.”
In the meantime, the Turkish press reported that the Turkevi
Centre, a 36-story skyscraper located across the road from the
UN headquarters, features traditional Turkish architectural
motifs, especially from the Seljuk Empire.
Speaking at its opening ceremony, which also featured a music
concert, Erdogan said the Turkevi Centre will stand as a
reflection of Turkey’s place on the world stage ahead of the
100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic, in 2023.
“I would like to extend my special gratitude to each of you for
being with us on this historic day,” he added. He also said the
Turkevi Centre is a symbol of Turkey’s faith in the United
Nations, along with multilateralism, justice, and peace.
Nicos Anastasiades, the President of the partially, illegally
occupied by the Turkish army island of Cyprus, who was also in
Washington to attend the UNO General Assembly, on Tuesday
cancelled a scheduled meeting with Archbishop Elpidophoros.
Meanwhile, Erdogan called on the international community to
recognize the international status of Turkish-occupied northern
Cyprus during a speech at the UN General Assembly last week.
He said its not fair for the president of the pseudo state Ersin
Tatar not to be able to address the UN General Assembly, as did
President Anastasiades.
US Greek Orthodox Arch-bishop Elpidoforos is an appointee of
the Orthodox Patriarchate based in Istanbul Turkey.
Greek Tribune
Adelaide, South Australia