Greek American Association Urges J.Lo. to Cancel Gig in Turkish-Occupied Cyprus

Greek American Association Urges J.Lo. to Cancel Gig in Turkish-Occupied Cyprus

WASHINGTON, July 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The leading membership-based association for the nation's three million American citizens of Greek heritage, and countless Philhellenes, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), has requested Entertainer Jennifer Lopez to cancel her planned July 24, 2010 performance at a new hotel and casino in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus in a July 1, 2010 letter it sent to her publicist, announced National President Nicholas A. Karacostas.

"It is sad and disheartening to see a celebration of this grandeur taking place in a city where countless human rights violations including murder, rape, and forced movement of population occurred 36 years ago," wrote Karacostas, a refugee who was born in the city of Kyrenia where the performance is planned to occur.

In addition to the letter, AHEPA provided Ms. Lopez's publicist with supporting documentation by experts about the destruction of Cyprus' cultural and religious heritage by Turkey and the latter country's violations of international law that included an April 2009 Law Library of Congress report to Congress, background information about a July 21, 2009 U.S. Helsinki Commission briefing titled "Cyprus' Religious Cultural Heritage in Peril," and a Feb. 1, 2010 feature article in The Weekly Standard titled "Bare Ruined Choirs: Turkey's war on the cultural heritage of Cyprus."

In 1974, Turkey illegally invaded the Republic of Cyprus. Thirty-six years later, Turkey still illegally occupies 37 percent of the island of Cyprus with an estimated 40,000 Turkish troops in violation of international law.

Founded in 1922 in Atlanta, Georgia, to protect individuals from the evils of bigotry and discrimination, AHEPA is the largest and oldest grassroots association of American citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes with more than 350 chapters across the United States, Canada, Greece and Cyprus. The mission of AHEPA is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence. For more information, please visit www.ahepa.org.

Source: American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association

CONTACT: Andrew Kaffes of American Hellenic Educational Progressive
Association, +1-202-441-5099, Andrew@agkaffes.com

Web Site: http://www.ahepa.org/

-------
Profile: intent