A mistranslation of Cyprus' Orthodox Archbishop Georgios' Easter message has ignited a new wave of tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the divided island. Turkish Cypriot media outlets reported that the Archbishop called for "expelling the Turks and saving the homeland," prompting swift condemnation from Turkish Cypriot political figures, including opposition leader Tufan Erhürman.
According to Kıbrıs Postası's bulletin published on April 20, 2025, Archbishop Georgios issued an Easter message urging "Greece, Southern Cyprus, and all Hellenism to make a coordinated effort to expel the Turks and save the homeland." The report further claimed the Archbishop stated there was "no possibility of making any more concessions" in the current situation.
In response, Tufan Erhürman, leader of the social democrat Republican Turkish Party (CTP), issued a strongly-worded statement criticizing what he called "discriminatory and provocative expressions" from the Archbishop. "The Church is not an interlocutor for the Turkish Cypriot people on the Cyprus problem," Erhürman declared, challenging Greek Cypriot political leadership, particularly President Christodulides, to clarify "who has the political leadership of the Greek Cypriot community and who speaks on behalf of the Greek Cypriot people regarding the Cyprus problem."
However, a review of the original Greek text published by the Cyprus News Agency reveals what appears to be a critical mistranslation. While expressing strong sentiments about the island's division, the Archbishop's message used significantly different language. The original statement referred to "expulsion of the Turkish invader" rather than "expelling the Turks" - a distinction that changed the meaning considerably from targeting an ethnic group to opposing military occupation.
In his actual message, Archbishop Georgios noted that "The Turkish occupier has kept our homeland crucified for 51 years now" and criticized Turkey for "exploiting the unwillingness, perhaps, and the inability of the UN to pressure it for a fair and sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem."
The Archbishop concluded his Easter message by stating that "Greece and Cyprus and Hellenism throughout the world must undertake coordinated efforts for the expulsion of the Turkish invader and the liberation of our homeland" - language that, while still politically charged, appears to target the military occupation rather than the Turkish Cypriot population.
This incident highlights the ongoing sensitivity surrounding the Cyprus issue, which has remained unresolved since the 1974 division of the island following a Turkish military intervention that came after a Greek-backed coup. The mistranslation demonstrates how easily communication can break down between the island's communities, particularly when filtered through media with different political perspectives.
The controversy comes as hopes for reunification talks remain stalled. Both sides maintain divergent views on the path forward for the Mediterranean island that has been divided for over five decades.