NICOSIA The planned Orthodox Easter pilgrimage of 600 Greek Cypriots to the Monastery of St Andrew the Apostle (Apostolos Andreas) in the Turkish occupied Karpass peninsula has instead stirred controversy and knocked UN efforts to promote harmony and goodwill on the island, Michael Jansen reports. The UN brokered Easter pilgrimage last Sunday was cancelled on Good Friday, April 25th, when the Turkish Cypriot authorities deleted names from the list of pilgrims submitted.
According to Turkish Cypriot press reports this week, 118 Greek Cypriot pilgrims braved a ban by their government to cross the Green Line and attend services at the monastery. However, UN spokesman Mr Waldemar Rokoszewski said the "pilgrimage was cancelled".
According to Greek Cypriot police, 101 Maronite Catholics and 67 Greek Cypriots crossed the Green Line on Saturday and Sunday independent of the organised pilgrimage. Mr Rokoszewski said "some of these Greek Cypriots" attended Easter services at the monastery, the only church still open in the Karpass peninsula.