O c v ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek Americans A WEEKLY GREEK AMERICAN PUBLICATION c v www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 10, ISSUE 478 December 9, 2006 $1.00 GREECE: 1.75 EURO Pope and Turkey Offers to Open 2 Patriarch Ports, Cyprus Okay with Sign Joint Proposed New Deadline Statement By Selcan Hacaoglu supporters of union with Greece. Associated Press But Ankara, which does not rec- ognize the internationally recog- Prelates Urge E.U. to ANKARA (AP) – Turkey has offered nized Republic of Cyprus, has re- to open two seaports temporarily, fused to allow Greek Cypriot goods Protect Minorities and yet unconditionally to E.U. member to enter its ports. Cyprus, but would open a Turkish The E.U. has been pressuring Freedom of Religion airport only in return for trade to Turkey to extend the customs the breakaway Turkish Cypriot agreement to Cyprus, or face a par- By Evan C. Lambrou state, according to a television re- tial suspension of entry talks. Special to The National Herald port this past Thursday. In Brussels, European Commis- The Turkish Government has al- sion President Jose Manuel Barroso NEW YORK – In a momentous ges- so has proposed opening one of its called Turkey's offer "an important ture of filial love and respect for airports to Greek Cypriots – if the step" toward breaking a deadlock their respective Churches, Pope Turkish Cypriot airport of Ercan entry talks, but the move immedi- Benedict XVI and Ecumenical Patri- near the divided capital of Nicosia ately tore open a rift among E.U. arch Bartholomew of Constantino- is opened to international traffic, member nations. ple, the first Bishop of the Ortho- CNN-Turk television reported from "If that move can be duly con- dox Church worldwide, signed a Brussels. firmed, I think it's certainly an im- significant Common Declaration in Earlier, private NTV television portant step toward" implementing Constantinople (present-day Istan- reported from Brussels that the a deal to extend an E.U.-Turkey bul) last week which “renews their Turkish proposal foresees the mu- customs union pact to include commitment to work towards the tual opening of one sea and one air- Cyprus, Barroso told reporters. "I restoration of full communion be- port within one year. Ankara also certainly welcome that initiative." tween the two Churches, which is said it anticipates finalizing the re- But Greece, Cyprus' closest ally, God’s will and command.” unification and a comprehensive warned that opening just some – Orthodox officials have said settlement of the division of Cyprus but not all – of Turkey's ports to they hope the Papal visit would TNH/COSTAS BEJ by the end of 2007. Cyprus was not enough, and E.U. help convince Ankara to enhance New Onassis Center exhibition wows the crowd The offer apparently is aimed at officials said privately that they the rights of Turkey’s tiny Christian averting a partial freeze of Turkey's looked to Turkey to "fully imple- community, a key demand of the "Athens-Sparta," a major exhibition of ancient Greek art now on display at the Onassis Cultural Center in European Union entry talks at a key ment" the customs union protocol, European Union. Manhattan, opened to the public this past Wednesday evening. Pictured above are (L-R) Greek Culture E.U. leaders' summit in Brussels meaning all ports should be opened In the eight-part declaration, the Minister George Voulgarakis, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, Exhibition Curator Dr. next week. Senior E.U. diplomats to Cyprus. Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch Nikos Kaltsas, director of the Greek National Archaeological Museum in Athens, and Onassis Foundation were discussing Ankara's proposal stressed the need for European President Antonis Papademetriou. Thursday. Continued on page 7 Union leaders to protect minorities Turkey's offer was not written and ensure freedom of religious but was relayed verbally this past practice, “which is proof and assur- Wednesday to Finland, the country ance of respect for all other free- holding the current rotating E.U. doms. In every initiative for union, presidency, NTV reported. Turkey minorities, with their cultural Avramopoulos Pushes Global Network expects the E.U. to take steps to end Parish Alleges rights and religious distinctiveness the isolation of Turkish Cypriot side should be protected.” By Demetris Tsakas ber 2. network, and is now in a position to in return, according to CNN-Turk. Former Priest The two Prelates gratefully re- Special to The National Herald Mr. Avramopoulos spoke about enter into this competitive new The Turkish Foreign Ministry called Pope Paul VI and Pope John Greece’s initiative, stating that “the world with the confidence that was declining comment at press Paul II and Ecumenical Patriarchs NEW YORK – Greek Health Minis- idea of creating a global communi- Greek doctors will stand at the fore- time, saying negotiations were still Took its Relics Athenagoras and Demetrios, who ter of Health Demetris Avramopou- cations network among Greek doc- front. underway. lead the path towards the reconcili- los affirmed the Greek Govern- tors has reached every corner of the The Greek Government is deter- "This is a goodwill gesture ation (abatement) of the two ment’s commitment to the develop- Earth. Next June, for the first time mined to make the Hellenic Repub- aimed at strengthening Turkey's By Theodore Kalmoukos churches through their meetings ment of joint initiatives to help ever, 10,000 doctors of Greek her- lic an international research center hand, and the hand of those E.U. Special to The National herald and mutual visits, as well as the lift- bring the Hellenic American med- itage from all over the world will for medicine and biotechnology, he members who are against a partial ing of the 11th Century anathemas ical community closer to Greece gather in Kos, the birthplace of the added. suspension of talks," columnist BOSTON – The Saint Demetrios between Rome and Constantino- and Greeks living abroad. father of medicine, Hippocrates.” Event speakers hailed Mr. Cengiz Aktar told NTV. parish of Jersey City, New Jersey ple. Mr. Avramopoulos had an op- Mr. Avramopoulos also said Avramopoulos for being the first Turkey had signed a customs last week accused its former priest Benedict and Bartholomew im- portunity to discuss this initiative Greek Americans should be proud health minister of Greece to partici- pact agreeing to open its harbors of 14 years, the Very Rev. Kyrillos plored the faithful of both Church- while attending the Hellenic Med- of Greek medical science and the pate in HMS’ recent symposium in and airports to the ten countries Markopoulos, of taking icons, relics es “to strengthen their prayers and ical Society of New York’s 70th An- motherland’s healthcare system. honor of the late George Papanico- which joined the E.U. in 2004, in- and other religious artifacts, and endeavors towards the unity of the nual Scholarship Gala at the He stressed that Greece has re- laou, renowned medical researcher cluding Cyprus, which has been di- stripping the church of its balcony Churches.” Jumeirah-Essex House in Manhat- sponded to the challenges of glob- vided since Turkey invaded in 1974 pews, while some $500,000 in do- They also cited their mutual tan last Saturday evening, Decem- alization by boning up this medical Continued on page 3 to exploit a failed coup staged by nations are reportedly unaccount- concern for “destruction of the nat- ed for. He was even accused of tak- ural environment, and the negative ing the balcony pews and putting consequences for humanity and all them up for sale on eBay. creation, caused by uncontrolled The archimandrite has denied economic and technological The “Tourist any wrongdoing, and said he has progress.” asked his attorneys to look into the The signing of the declaration allegations. by the two “peacemakers” and Resorts” of The local press in New Jersey “bridge builders” of Apostolic and tri-state television stations Christendom in the Throne Room picked up the story and reported of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was Cappadocia the issue. The National Herald’s the focal point of Pope Benedict Greek daily edition also reported it XVI’s three-day visit to the primary last week (as the English edition ecclesiastical center of the Greek By Steve Frangos was going to press when the story Orthodox Church. Special to The National Herald broke). The declaration was signed on In a telephone interview with the occasion of the feast day of On December 6, 1985 the Unit- the National Herald, Saint Saint Andrew the First-Called ed Organization of Education, Sci- Demetrios Parish Council President Apostle, who traveled across Asia ence & Culture, more commonly Chris Paschalides said, “Father Minor and is the founder of the known by its acronym, UNESCO, Markopoulos left with relics of the Christian Church in Byzantium, proclaimed Cappadocia a World church. The entire iconostasis from Heritage Site. Almost one year later 1928 has disappeared. He assumed Continued on page 10 – on November 24, 198 – the Turk- complete authority of the church; ish National Tourist organization all monies that came into the opened a national park in this very church went directly to Father same region, covering an area of Markopoulos.” 9,672 hectares (23,900 acres). When asked why the parish In Memoriam: In 2003, I discovered that the council allowed that to happen, Mr. Kapadokya Lodge Country Club, Paschalides said, “When we started the first of the new resorts which questioning him about the treasury Father Peter are now scattered across this re- report, he got up and he said, ‘I gion, describes itself as offering its write the reports, and I delete tourist visitors “a fairytale atmos- them.’ He became very antagonis- Kyriakos, 82 phere.” I couldn’t agree more.