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Christians in This Area Are Only Allowed to Attend Church Once a Year

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Christians living in northern Cyprus will only be allowed to attend church now once a year, either on Christmas or Easter.
 
Turkey, which controls the northern portion of the island, says the number of people attending services have grown and they simply cannot provide the necessary security to keep up with the demand.

Since 2013, Greek Cypriots have been flocking to towns and villages in the north to attend church services, but authorities now want to limit that.
 
Turkish troops have occupied the northern third of the island since 1974. It is known as the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus.
 
The area is only recognized internationally by Turkey. Greek-Cypriots are not allowed to live in the north, but Turkish-Cypriots both live and work in the south.
 
A so-called Green Line, or buffer zone, divides the Greek and Turkish sectors and those who want to cross need a passport.
 
The United Nations said it was "deeply concerned" that Christians now aren't allowed to attend church services in the north.
 
"After many years of very positive improvement on the ability to access churches, we have learnt of a new policy which seems to be more restrictive," Espen Barth Eide, the United Nation's envoy told reporters after meeting with Turkish officials.

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Born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and of Indian descent, CBN News’ Senior International Correspondent and Co-Anchor, George Thomas, has been traveling the globe for more than 20 years, finding the stories of people, conflicts, and issues that must be told. He has reported from more than 100 countries and has had a front-row seat to numerous global events of our day. George’s stories of faith, struggle, and hope combine the expertise of a seasoned journalist with the inspiration of a deep calling to tell the stories of the people behind the news. “I’ve always liked discovering & exploring new