Armenian Monastery occupied Another Christian religious and historical site in the occupied areas of the Republic is in the process of being desecrated for purposes of private enterprise. According to the Turkish-Cypriot press, the Armenian Monastery of Sourp Magaravank, situated on the northern slopes of the Pentadaktylos range just below Halefka peak, has been leased out for a period of 49 years to businessman Dervish Shenmester, who has already announced his intention of converting it to a hotel. The announcement has led to a storm of protests raised by the Armenian lobby at the Parliamentary Conference of the Council of Europe, which is persistently demanding the reversal of the decision.
Querying the occupation regime's decision, the Turkish-Cypriot press
notes that hoteliers in the occupied areas of the Republic are
generally disappointed by the overall situation, given that current
reservations have dropped to even lower levels than those recorded
last year.
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