Al-Rahi in Turkey to Discuss Issue of Maronites in Turkish-Occupied Cyprus
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi travelled to Turkey on an official and pastoral visit on Thursday, saying he would discuss there the situation of Maronites in Cyprus.
He kicked off the visit with a meeting with President Abdullah Gul in Ankara.
Ahead of his trip, al-Rahi said: “The visit is not political. It comes at the official invitation of the Turkish government and has a pastoral and spiritual nature that we always try to preserve.”
“I am happy to visit Turkey with which we have cooperation ties through the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon” in which it has a contingent, he stated at the Rafik Hariri International Airport.
“We will discuss with the involved individuals the issues of the Maronites” in the divided island, al-Rahi told reporters.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops occupied the northern third in response to a Greek-inspired coup in Nicosia aimed at union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
During his pastoral visit to the island last month, al-Rahi stressed that the patriarchate would continue working toward the country’s unification.
He is also seeking to settle the situation of four traditionally Maronite villages in the north whose inhabitants fled their homes after the invasion and now live in the Greek side.
Asked about the decisions that the government took on resolving the electricity crisis, al-Rahi said: “We bless each step forward because we are in desperate need for ending the recession.”
“We also bless each decision that the cabinet took to allow Lebanon to regain its economic, national and development cycle,” he added.
29 March 2012, 12:07
26
this guy is trying to assume a role much larger than his true size..... ego i guess!
29 March 2012, 12:27
34
Yeah... stick to spirituality, for your political stances are shameful!
29 March 2012, 13:15
35
this guyis full of ego :) just look at him dying his hair and always searching for attention :)
very futile for a man of the cloth....
29 March 2012, 14:05
22
geha, we may not always support his views but lets try to distinguish between a productive endeavour and an egotistic one. El Ra3e is acting in the best interest of the maronites and christians in general, by travelling to egpyt and turkey he is mearly maintaining the profile of the maronites and christians in the mid east which can only be to our advantage. We may disagree with some things but that dissagreement isn't an open check to be disrespectful on all issues. Time we thought for ourselves..
29 March 2012, 19:46
25
you are right: it is time to think for ourselves :)
rahi supports the syrian dictator, so what does it make him?
29 March 2012, 15:23
34
what a big difference for MONSEIGNEUR rahi , he is much better as religious leader than political.
29 March 2012, 15:48
71
Great Job finally a Patriarch that knows what Antioche and the rest of the East means, a bit different then the Patriarch of Raifoun an sa2er mutasarifyat lubnan el chamaly.
thank you Patriarch
29 March 2012, 19:48
35
@kesrweneh:
you are not from kesrwen thus you have no say on this matter, just comment on your hizbushaitan....
29 March 2012, 22:23
72
hehe man so you have deduced that just from reading my comments, man the genius in M14 won't stop dazzaling me. my family has been from Kesrwen (it's upper zone to be precise) since at 7 generations so...
30 March 2012, 04:47
61
Geha with your logic, you too have no right to comment on the batrak. Go comment on hariri and Saudi Arabia.
30 March 2012, 09:50
12
@ so called kesrerneh
it is obvious to all on this site that you are a hizbushaitan die hard, so go tell your lies somewhere else.
@ ad0_
my logic is correct if you see this guy's comments accross the board. furthermore, I have every right to comment on rhi as he is putting us at high risk as well as causing trouble for all lebanese in the gulf area.
30 March 2012, 04:47
21
People of the middle east never equate what the Israelis do to the Palestinians vs. what the Turks do to the Greeks and others who inhabited northern Cyprus. They are exactly the same. I am glad he went, but he will get nowhere. The turks only know how to kill and take.
The writings of St. Kosmas and Revelations have the Turks set in their sights.
30 March 2012, 12:41
00
Our father "Rahi" pray for them these lost souls, so their hate turns into love...
30 March 2012, 17:48
00
Cyprus is not greek nor turkish.
The minority cypriot people need to kick the greeks and the turks out.
