Deputies of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly urged Turkish government to allow the Patriarch of Constantinople the right to include adjective “Ecumenical” in his title. This request is contained in Resolution 1704 “Freedom of religion and other human rights of non-Muslim minorities in Turkey and the Muslim minority in Thrace (Eastern Greece)". The original text of the resolution, prepared by French deputy Michel Hunault, used the phrase “Greek Patriarch in Istanbul” for the Patriarch of Constantinople. However, after the intervention of the Bulgarian deputy Latchezar Toshev, who declared that usage false and unhistorical, PACE changed the word “Greek” to “Ecumenical”, and urged the Turkish government to recognise this as the title of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Turkey has refused to recognize Bartholomew I as the spiritual leader of global Orthodox community for many years and reduced his status to the head of the local Greek Orthodox community. On the other hand, Greek authorities insisted that that the universal scope of the Patriarch’s jurisdiction is based on international treaties, the Orthodox canons, and Church tradition. The title “Ecumenical”, as the Patriarch of Constantinople uses it, is the historical legacy of the Byzantine Empire, the borders of which were identified with the boundaries “of the civilised world”. This title was given to the Patriarch of Constantinople in connection with his special functions in the capital of a Christian empire, but it never meant that the Ecumenical Patriarch had any authority over any other Local Church.
II. FINANCIALMIRROR - Cyprus humanitarian aid arrives in Haiti
Cyprus humanitarian aid arrived on Monday to earthquake-stricken Haiti on a Hellenic Imperial Airways Boeing 747 aircraft carrying humanitarian aid, comprising 50 tons of pharmaceutical supplies, foodstuffs and tents. The aid has already been collected by the six-member mission from the Volunteer-Doctors-Cyprus and the Greek doctors that are in Port au Prince. Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Spyros Kouvelis also arrived on Monday in Port au Prince aboard the Greek aircraft. Cyprus Council of Ministers decided recently to send humanitarian aid worth EUR122.000 to Haiti, in adition to the already announced financial aid of EUR100.000. Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou said the additional aid would be in the form of “various items, such as tents, dry food, serum, tinned meat.” The Cypriot team comprises doctors Marios Theodorou, Olga Sophocleous, Nicolas Ioannou, Constantina Rousia and Nicolas Papachrysostomou and photo reporter Katia Christodoulou.
III. JPOST - Tourism operator accuses gov’t of restricting activities because of tensions with Turkey
A company that offers tourism services to Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus accused the Foreign Ministry of severely curtailing its advertisements because of recent strained relations with Ankara. The Green Solution Company made the charge in a suit against Artara, a company that specializes in industrial fairs to promote economic activities in various sectors. The Green Solution, which runs a ferry service from Haifa to Famagusta in northern Cyprus three times a week, and offers hotel accommodations in Famagusta and Kyrenia, signed up for a 20-square meter booth at the fair, to advertise its services. On the same day, an employee of Artara informed the Green Solution Company that “in view of the sensitivity of the Cyprus issue in the fair, and in accordance with special directives which we received from the Foreign Ministry,” it would not be allowed to mention the fact that the services provided were for ‘northern Cyprus’” or to provide the names of hotels. It also demanded to see the advertisements that would be displayed two days before the opening of the fair. The Green Solution Company alleged that the restrictions were unfair and there was no law that prevented Israelis from visiting the Turkish-controlled part of Cyprus. A Foreign Ministry spokesman told The Jerusalem Post that Israel maintained a consistent policy toward northern Cyprus, which was occupied by Turkey in 1974, in accordance with the United Nations and the international community. Israel did not recognize northern Cyprus as a separate entity, but did not prevent the private sector from maintaining commercial and tourism ties with the inhabitants of that area.
On a day Iran is making another step in its nuclear program, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling on the international community to act quickly. "Iran is pushing forwards with its nuclear arming race while slighting the wishes of the international community which needs to protect peace and impose sanctions on Iran. Not partial and moderate sanctions. The duty is to impose paralyzing sanctions on Iran now," Netanyahu said Tuesday while addressing ambassadors of European Union countries. The prime minister also added, "In recent days leaders of the Iranian brutal regime have called for the annihilation of the State of Israel. Israel expects any responsible government in the world, certainly your own governments, to harshly condemn these statements. But it takes more than words." Tehran announced on Tuesday that it has started producing uranium enriched to a level of 20% for a reactor making medical isotopes. Elements in Washington, which have already noted that new sanctions were inevitable said that they will ask the UN's Security Council to approve a decision which will lay the foundations for an additional round of sanctions within "weeks and not months". Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters Tuesday that Gates "clearly thinks time is of the essence." However, China, whose support is crucial has announced that it still believed in diplomacy. President Peres also commented on the issue and said "(Iranian President) Ahmadinejad is an example of moral corruption and a dictator who kills people on the street, funds terror, calls for the annihilation of another people and denies the Holocaust." Peres made the statements during a meeting with 600 students in Modi'in. According to the president, "What is being said in Iran is condescension." Peres also insinuated criticism on the conduct of the international community pointing to the recent anti-regime riots in Tehran. "One can see that those who act against the regime are the Iranians themselves'.
Foreign ministers of Turkey, Serbia and Bosnia will meet in Ankara today to discuss the latest developments in the Balkans, particularly in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Today's meeting of Ahmet Davutoglu, Vuk Jeremić and Sven Alkalaj will be the fifth since October 2009, when the initiative was launched. The ministers are scheduled to discuss concrete moves that should be made in the coming period in order to prevent deepening of the crisis in BIH. Anatolia news agency reported that according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement, Turkey gives priority to the Balkans, especially BIH, in its foreign policy in order to establish permanent peace and stability in the region.
Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich has won the presidential poll by over 3%, according to preliminary data, with 99,91% of the votes counted. Yanukovich has 48,95% of the vote, while his rival Yulia Timoshenko has 45,48%. Meanwhile, in a telephone conversation, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has congratulated Viktor Yanukovich on his success after the crucial presidential vote, which was highly commended by the international observers. Acting Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko says “she'll never accept Yanukovich's victory” and is ready to challenge the results in court, warning that there could be a rerun of the vote. In the meantime, over 2,000 supporters of Yanukovich are holding a rally on February 9 outside the building of the Central Electoral Commission of Ukraine. Up to 50,000 participants are expected to take part in the rally, organizers claim. Beginning at 8:00 a.m. on February 7 Ukrainians flocked to polling stations nationwide. There had been fears of low turnout, but by midday more than half the number of eligible voters cast their ballots, thus making voting valid. Amid what has been a nervous campaign, both candidates were calm and optimistic. Despite both camps accusing each other of falsifications, both local and international observers have deemed the runoff transparent and urged both candidates to accept the results. Timoshenko seems unwilling to accept defeat and says it’s too early for Yanukovich to start celebrating. Even though the vote count is almost over, the head of the Central Election Commission has already said that it may take longer than it did during the first round, promising to present official results before February 17. Meanwhile, opinions of what Ukraine under Viktor Yanukovich might be have begun to appear. Most analysts agree that Yanukovich, if he wins, will be a Russia-friendly president.
VII. INTERFAX - Russian priest provides spiritual care for Hollywood actors
Rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Los-Angeles Archpriest Alexander Lebedev has provided spiritual care for actors and staff members of the world “dream factory” for almost thirty years. “Many of our parishioners work in film studios as directors and actors. There’ve always been many actors in our parish who actively participated in church life. Such famous actresses as Natalie Wood and Sandra Dee were my parishioners. I was familiar with Yul Brynner," who was a parishioner of Orthodox church in New York. Fr. Alexander told an Interfax-Religion correspondent on Tuesday. According to him, today several Hollywood stars, including Jeniffer Aniston, adhere to Orthodoxy. Tom Hanks, who is also an Orthodox Christian, is an active guardian of St. Sophia Church of the Constantinople Patriarchate. Fr. Alexander noted that many Americans converted to Orthodoxy after marrying to Greek or Russia women. As, for example, famous baseball player Alex Rodriguez. Russian actors and directors living in Hollywood are also Fr. Alexander’s parishioners. The priest told that active member of his parochial community actor Pavel Lychnikov had recently invited him to consecrate a film studio before filming a new film there. Orthodox faith inspires some Hollywood actors to lead less bohemian lifestyle and overcome temptations, the interviewee of the agency said. “Certainly, we try to help them control themselves. So that women participating in movies observed proprieties and chastity. Sometimes there’s a possibility to influence their choice in favor of scenarios of moral character,” Fr. Alexander said.