President Ersin Ersin Tatar on Wednesday expressed his disappointment over a decision by the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades to call off his meeting with the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America Elpidoforos, because the cleric attended the opening of the Türkevi (Turkish House) in New York.

According to Greek Cypriot media, the official reason given for the cancellation of the meeting was Anastasiades’ heavy schedule, but reports said it was actually because the archbishop attended the opening on Monday of the Turkevi Center, by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the presence of President Ersin Tatar.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Tatar said that the opening was attended by representatives of the world’s major religious leaders, a move that should be applauded in terms of world peace.

He said that the decision to call off the meeting was shocking and a demonstration of Greece’s and the Greek Cypriot side’s intolerance and fanaticism.

Tatar said that such actions only served to deepen the lack of trust between the two communities, particularly at a time when efforts were underway to reach a settlement in Cyprus.

“We condemn such unacceptable actions and call on the international community to derive the necessary conclusions,” he said.