Cyprus
Cyprus has had a volatile history, having been under near constant domination from ancient civilizations such as Egypt, the Persians, the Romans and even in modern times becoming an English colony. In 1960, the small country declared independence under its own constitution. The new Republic of Cyprus got off to a rocky start as a power struggle ensued between the Turkish-Cypriot minority and the Greek-Cypriot majority. Within a few years of establishing the new government, violence broke out between the two groups. Turkish forces invaded the northern third of the island in 1974. This Turkish-held territory separated itself into the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Greek-Cypriots still control the remaining two thirds of the island and became members of the European Union in 2004. Reunification efforts are currently in the works in both portions of the country, but compromise has proven difficult.
The struggle between the two cultures has caused efforts to spring up on both sides to differentiate themselves as much as possible. Northern Cyprus has changed many names and traditions to reflect their Turkish heritage. Likewise, the Republic of Cyprus has been making a move toward a more Grecian atmosphere. As a result, the two cultures are steadily widening the gap in the country. The popular religions also reflect this change. Northern Cyprus is primarily Sunni Muslim, while the Republic holds strongly to Greek Orthodoxy. Unfortunately, this religious fervor has less to do with a true desire to know Christ personally and more to do with asserting cultural identity.
The people place a strong emphasis on their cultural and religious heritage, which is probably a prime reason why the two ethnicities present have a hard time accepting each other. The country is in desperate need of the unity that can only be found through the bonds of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the discipleship that comes from the nurturing of a local New Testament church. Please join us in praying that God will pour out His Spirit to bring hope to every heart, a church-planting movement to every people in Cyprus!
If you would like to be a part of helping the people of Cyprus learn what it means to have this personal relationship with Christ and the discipleship that comes from being a part of a local New Testament church, please contact us at hope4cee@pobox.com.