THERESA VILLIERS TO WRITE TO FOREIGN SECRETARY MILLIBAND ON CYPRUS LOST HERITAGE EXHIBITION AT GALLERY K

Following her attendance at the formal opening of the exhibition, “Lost Heritage Cyprus, 1974-2009”, at Gallery K in Hampstead, Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, is writing to the Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon David Milliband MP, to urge him to visit the exhibition and to throw the UK Government’s weight behind efforts to preserve the churches and other cultural heritage at risk in the occupied north of Cyprus.

The exhibition consists of photos by Doros Partasides of churches in north Cyprus, left to deteriorate, and a series of paintings and artworks inspired by those photographs by 23 artists.

Theresa Villiers said, “Visiting this exhibition will be profoundly moving for anyone who cares about the Cyprus cause. It is a tragedy that so much cultural heritage has been damaged and left to decay in north Cyprus. Many of these beautiful churches are hundreds of years old and were vibrant centres of faith and community before the 1974 invasion of Cyprus.”

“That this has been allowed to happen is a cultural disaster and I want to see the UK Government raise this with the Turkish Government in Ankara. Urgent action is needed to safeguard these churches and I hope my letter to the Foreign Secretary will prompt action from our Government on this hugely important issue for my British Cypriot constituents and for Europe’ cultural heritage.”