15/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - Four MEPs briefly arrested in northern Cyprus. Four EPP members of the European Parliament - Artur Zasada and Jaros³aw Wa³esa of Poland, Mariya Nedelcheva of Bulgaria and Eleni Theocharous of Cyprus - were arrested on Saturday 12 March in Famagusta by the Turkish armed forces who accused them of trespassing on military-occupied land. The incident took place as the MEPs, members of the EP delegation to Cyprus, sought to gain access to an abandoned orthodox monastery located in the no-man's land of the island which, according to the press, is being disputed over by Turkey and Greece. The aim of the visit was to extend United Nations' protection to former Christian churches on the island. The four MEPs were released after several hours of detention and the immediate intervention of diplomatic services concerned. (A.By./transl.jl)