IV. An example of how a goodwill measure could be successfully implemented: Restoring institutional religious freedoms B y Nicos Peristianis and Yücel Vural 1. The Problem Two major problems regarding institutional religious freedoms in Cyprus are apparent. The first concerns the restrictions in place by the political authorities of both communities on the use of religious sites by members of the other community. The use of Apostolos Andreas and the Hala Sultan Tekke, by Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, respectively, is of paramount importance because of their historical and religious status. The major reason for any limitations is the de facto situation in Cyprus(the division), which enables the political authorities on each side to challenge the legitimate demands and expectations of the other side. Such limitations have persisted since the territorial division of 1974. For example, Greek-Cypriots willing to visit the religious sites in the north are required to apply for prior permission by the Turkish Cypriot political authorities, in order to organize ceremonies at their religious sites. Similar limitations exist for Turkish Cypriots in using religious sites located in the south. Such limitations seem to be the remnants of the pre-2003 period, and are not consistent with the new realities on the ground. 17 The second problem concerns the lack of an appropriate model of administration for the religious sites located on the“other side”. After the territorial division of 1974, the legal authorities of the two communities lost administrative control of the religious sites located on the“other side”. In the Republic of Cyprus, the Department of Antiquities has been given responsibility to administer the religious sites which belong to the Turkish Cypriot community. In the north, there is no single unit with administrative control over religious sites originally owned and administered by the Orthodox Church of Cyprus. Instead, Turkish Cypriot authorities allowed several units, persons and institutions to variously use Christian religious sites located in the northern part of Cyprus. Although a technical committee consisting of representatives from both sides undertook responsibility towards making urgent restorations of some religious sites, its limited jurisdiction could not stop the violation of institutional religious rights and freedoms. 2. The importance of the issue Historically, the dominant ideological values and political practices in Cyprus helped to foster a tradition of communal autonomy in several areas of social life, such as the educational and religious domains. As a result of this tradition, the functioning of the educational and religious institutions has been well respected 24