Nikos Stelgias
A few hours ago, the representatives of the Turkish government made statements about the attack on the mosque located in the coastal zone of Larnaca.
According to the Turkish network "Haber 7", shortly before his departure for his official trip to Qatar, the President of Turkey answered a relevant question from a Turkish journalist.
"We have 6 mosques in Cyprus, for which the Cyprus administration holds responsibility for its security. I expect...the same assurance for the safety of the mosques as we provide for the churches"
"Unfortunately, there was an attack on our mosque in Larnaca. This attack in Cyprus will not go unanswered. "Our friend Omer (Celik), the representative of our party, has made a clear statement on this issue," said Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Continuing, Mr. Erdogan said: "Mr. Tatar and I, in our statements, call for an end to this kind of sabotage in our temples, otherwise there will be a very heavy price to pay. We are working very hard to identify the perpetrators behind this attack. We have 6 mosques in Cyprus, for which the Cyprus administration holds responsibility for its security. I expect them to provide the same assurance for the safety of the mosques as we provide for the churches".
The representative of the ruling Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP), Omer Celik, stated the following via Twitter: "We unequivocally condemn the attack on the Larnaca Grand Mosque. The Greek government is not taking adequate measures against these attacks, which is indicative of Islamophobia and hostility towards the Turks".
Representatives of the Turkish Cypriot leadership, the Mufti of Cyprus and the administration of EVKAF have been appointed to investigate the case.
(UPDATE)
In a social media post a few minutes ago, Soto Ktoris, a member of the bicommunal Technical Committee for Cultural Heritage, said that the Molotov cocktail attack on the Buyuk Mosque in Larnaca had no racist or nationalist motives
According to Mr. Ktoris, it all started when a homeless Syrian immigrant tried to set fire to the mosque after the hodja of the mosque did not allow him to spend the night inside the building. He also stated that minimal damage was caused to the building.
