Although Turkish desecration of Christian holy sites in occupied northern Cyprus is well established, occupying authorities escalated their provocations by allowing a techno party to be held in an 11th century Armenian monastery.
The Sourp Magar is an 11th century Monastery founded by the Coptic Orthodox Church in memory of Saint Makarios, the hermit of Alexandria, Zartonk reported.
The Monastery was transferred to the Armenian Community in Cyprus during the 15th century and has belonged to and has been intrinsically linked to the community ever since.
Although the event was recorded and uploaded on YouTube on April 7, the event actually occurred on March 20.
The Religious Leaders of Cyprus condemned the event and reiterated their request that all places of worship and cemeteries, in use or not, are protected against vandalism, misuse and desecration.
“Disrespecting places of worship and cemeteries creates pain, nurtures mistrust and becomes an obstacle to peaceful coexistence”, the statement says.
The US Embassy in Cyprus strongly condemned the misuse of the Armenian Monastery in Cyprus.
“Freedom of worship is a fundamental value, and we echo the call from religious leaders that all places of worship, in use or not, be protected against misuse, vandalism, and desecration,” Ambassador Judith Garber said in a Twitter post.
Turkish destruction in occupied northern Cyprus has a long history, with the Cypriot Foreign Ministry providing a detailed report on the destruction of churches and other acts of vandalism.
READ MORE: Turkey Wipes Out the Christian Culture of Occupied Cyprus.