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