Yunluer cancells meeting with Archbishop Chrysostomos

The Director of Religious Affairs of the Turkish Cypriot community Ahmet Yunluer cancelled the meeting that was scheduled to take place today with the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, at the Holy Archbishopric, the government-controlled part of the divided capital Nicosia.
“The Director of Religious Affairs of the Turkish Cypriot community Ahmet Yunluer cancelled today’s visit to HE the Archbishop of Cyprus because, according to his view, ‘the climate is not favourable’”, a press release issued by the Archbishopric says.
In statements to CNA, the Director of the office of the Archbishop Frixos Kleanthous said that Chrysostomos II is ready to meet with Yunluer anytime.
“Whenever Yunluer considers the climate to be favourable, Archbishop Chrysostomos II is ready to meet him”, Kleanthous said.
He also expressed the view that their second meeting scheduled for 22 January in the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus would most probably not take place either.
“The Archbishop can not reciprocate a visit that never took place”, Kleanthous concluded.
Today’s meeting would have taken place at the Holy Archbishopric in Nicosia, and would have been attended by three senior Greek Orthodox clergy and another three aides to Yunluer.
The Archbishop was to host a lunch for his guest and after that they would both visit the mosque of Hala Sultan in Larnaca, on the southern coast, an important religious shrine in the Moslem world.
On January 22, the Archbishop was to cross into the northern Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus to meet Yunluer, who would also host a lunch for his guest and accompany him to the monastery of the founder of the Church of Cyprus, Saint Barnabas, near the eastern occupied town of Famagusta.