The spiritual leader of the estimated 477,000 Greek Orthodox worshipers in the United States said he strongly agrees with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' denunciation of the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus that he voiced in his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
Archbishop Elpidophoros, primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America, told Newsmax that Mitsotakis was "absolutely right" in condemning the 48-year-old Turkish invasion of Cyprus and subsequent occupation of Northern Cyprus and declaration of a Turkish Cypriot State.
"He said what nearly all of us believe," said the prelate, who was in the Visitor's Gallery during Mitsotakis' address and spoke to us shortly afterward.
Elpidophoros added that he agreed with the prime minister that Turkey's current division of Cyprus into Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sub-states "should not be tolerated by the democratic nations."
The 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus "was exactly like Russia going to Ukraine now," said Elpidophoros, who was born in Turkey and served in the Turkish Army.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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