The protest by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs against an old Ottoman cemetery found during excavations in Halkidiki, is criticised by Constantinople-based (Κωνσταντινούπολις, Turkish: İstanbul) newspaper, Apogevmatini.
"The words of the Turkish Foreign Ministry regarding the Muslim graves found in Halkidiki are far from the language of diplomacy," the newspaper wrote.
"Let us not forget that those who visit the Greek Orthodox cemetery of Şişli to honour their own dead, see in a prominent position the tomb of Eftim, which has nothing to do with the Greek Orthodox community," the newspaper highlighted.
The newspaper concluded by asking: "Why is he still in our cemetery, where by order of the Authority, and in violation of the requirements of our religion, he was forced to be buried?"
As is well known, Papa Eftim was one of the so-called "patriarchs" of the self-proclaimed "Turkish Orthodox Church", which was built by Kemal Atatürk to break up the Greek-identifying Orthodox element in Turkey and the Far East.
It was a "Church" with a non-existent flock of believers, headed by Papa Eftim, who is considered to be one of Atatürk's favoured one.
READ MORE: Mayor Karras: Turkey’s complaint that we desecrated a Muslim cemetery is “completely false."
