Speaking at the General Assembly of the Parliament, Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu referred to the Greek Cypriots’ visits to the religious places in the TRNC and said, “There is a perception that every request was accepted previously, but Ertuğruloğlu has come on duty and he refused these requests .I disagree with such perceptions.”
Ertuğruloğlu said, “We do not intend to prevent religious ceremonies.”There are a lot of requests for religious ceremonies and the decision has been taken in order to discipline these ceremonies.”
Stating that ceremonies can be held in three churches without any restriction, and other churches will be able to have religious ceremonies once a year, Ertuğruloğlu said that the UN and the other authorities have been informed about the decision.
Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu emphasized that they will not allow the issue to be reflected as if they are trying to take away the Greek Cypriots’ rights to their religious ceremonies.