Cyprus-Forum.com

[insan]

Occupiers of TC property may be arrested



21/03/2005


On Thursday the Republic of Cyprus House of Representatives unanimously voted in an amendment to the criminal code last Thursday, which increases sentences for offences related to illegal use of properties.

The amendment means that the government can now apply for European warrants to arrest EU citizens who are illegally in possession of GC-owned property in northern Cyprus.

It is understood that while Turkish Cypriots are unlikely to be targeted, sicne they too are displaced person, mayn Britons and Germans could be targeted.

The sentences for illegal possession, cultivation or other illegal use of immovable property, are now increased from six months to 2 years imprisonment and the fines from CYP 450 to CYP 5,000.

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Is this a browbeat attempt or rather a nonsense? It is obvious that the properties that are sold to foreigners by displaced TCs have an equivelant in South Cyprus. The problem for GC administration is the occupiers of those properties are EU citizens. In my opinion the stance of GC administration concerning this issue is exaggerated and irrational. There are at least 150.000 foreign residents living in South either in their own properties or rentals. On the other hand the number of foreigners living in north aren't more than 8-9 thousands. And all of the properties they purchased have the equivelant in South. If the amount of occupied land belongs to TCs have been for instance %10 or %13 percent of the occupied North, normally TCs would sell their own land to those foreigners.

[-mikkie2-]

Well, Sener Levent begs to differ witrh you Insan.

Turkish Cypriot columnist expresses the opinion that the occupation regime should prevent the foreigners from buying occupied Greek Cypriot properties

Writing in his daily column in AFRIKA newspaper (21.03.05), Sener Levent expresses the following opinion under the title 'If you are a real patriot':
'Look what the two sides in Cyprus do. The issue is the selling of property in the North to foreigners. The Turkish Cypriot administration sat down and took a decision last week. In fact, it changed a decision it had taken some time ago and decided something new. The VAT percentage for these sails, which had been increased to 15 %, was reduced again to 5 %. Let those who have not plundered the country plunder it. Let them plunder it under easier and better conditions. Let those who sell and those who buy be happy! This is a decision that the Turkish administration took.

Last week we had a decision that the Cyprus government in the South took. It is an amendment law unanimously accepted in the Parliament. According to this law, all foreigners who buy and use Greek Cypriot property in the North will be arrested from now on. They will be arrested everywhere, both in Cyprus and in Europe. Going to Britain or Germany will save no one. Those who are arrested could be punished with imprisonment until two years and paying five thousand Cyprus pounds.

This is the picture. While we are instigating the foreigners for buying properties, the Greek Cypriot side is taking legal measures to prevent this. We shall be selling in auction. They are going to arrest (the buyers). Are you a real Cypriot who bears inside him real love for his country? Then tell me. Which decision do you support? Do you support the decision of the Turkish side or the decision of the Greek Cypriot side?

In fact it is we who should have made the law that the administration in the South published. However, where is it? We are plundering the territories we have been occupying in the North since 1974. We have brought here more population from Turkey than our own. We have distributed the Greek Cypriot land first to them and afterwards we have given them title-deeds as if this property belonged to our father. Talat's party is the one that gave the title-deeds and now receives the most acclamations. Does this mean that people like the selling of their country?

Instead of asking those who gave this land, which does not belonged to them, to those who had been brought from abroad to give account, we showed respect to those who did this! And when the Annan plan opened the way to those who had acquired title-deeds, the plundering glut and the foreign raid for 'cheep' property began. Our brothers from Turkey, whom even the most progressive of our parties describe as 'New Cypriots', have started selling and getting rid of the property they had in their hands for hundred thousands and millions of sterling pounds. And they (were selling) with the title-deeds that the international law describes as false. We remained bystanders to this plundering. Our building companies have been benefited, we said! Do you care very much about the money that goes into the safe of these companies? Do you not care at all about the olive trees and the Pentadaktylos Mountain which are being cut?

The Greek Cypriot side is doing what we should have done a long time ago. They are publishing the law we should have published. We cannot say that Turkey seized by violence our political will. They are saying it. They say at the international scene that we do not take the decisions which concern us. No one from us says anything on the issue of the opening of the mass graves. No one insists on cleaning the mines. No one says 'let us demilitarize the area within the walls'. The relatives of our missing persons have not made even a single demonstration. No one from us complains about the fact that Varosha is still a hostage of snakes. Even the structure of our population which has been changed does not trouble us, but it troubles the Greek Cypriots.

Read carefully today the note under Arif Hasan Tahsin's article. He will change his house near the sea in Lapithos, but he wants a house where the neighbours are not from Turkey. Did you understand in what situation we are?'

[Piratis]

It is obvious that the properties that are sold to foreigners by displaced TCs have an equivelant in South Cyprus.

1) Who decides what is equivalent with what? You?

2) TCs own less than 18% land. They grabbed 36%.

[insan]

Sener levent begs to differ with %99 of TCs and on the other hand he begs to conform with %99 of GC. So what? Do we have to agree with him? Does he have to agree with us? No. At least in North, there's no just a single intellectual calls Levent "traitor".

[garbitsch]

According to the logic, the Turkish Cypriots who are residing in the Greek properties should be arrested too. Isn't it?

[insan]

It is obvious that the properties that are sold to foreigners by displaced TCs have an equivelant in South Cyprus.

1) Who decides what is equivalent with what? You?

Yes, we decide Piratis.

2) TCs own less than 18% land. They grabbed 36%.

Personally you calculated what amount of land belongs to TCs?

Don't make nonsense Piro.

[insan]

... administration in the South published.

Though there are many things that we agree with Sener Levent. For instance; he too qualify "RoC" as Greek Cypriot administration or Greek Cypriot side.

[Piratis]

Yes, we decide Piratis.

Your decisions are illegal and invalid.

Personally you calculated what amount of land belongs to TCs?

There have been many threads with facts regarding this issue. For you what belongs to you might equate what you grabbed. However what you think doesn't matter. Only the specific departments of RoC (the only legal state for the whole Cyprus) can decide what belongs to whom at any part of the island.

[insan]

Your decisions are illegal and invalid.

If our decisions have legal rationales they are valid.

Legal rationales:

1- The mutually ratified agreements.
2- The leadership of GCs rejection of global exchange of properties.
3- The inhumane embargos being imposed upon TC community in last 30 years.

There have been many threads with facts regarding this issue. For you what belongs to you might equate what you grabbed. However what you think doesn't matter. Only the specific departments of RoC (the only legal state for the whole Cyprus) can decide what belongs to whom at any part of the island.

Keep believing what you want. It doesn't matter. Life goes on. Time brings new things together with itself. You'll be surprised with what time will bring to us in one year time.

[metecyp]

Yes, we decide Piratis.

It's true that in a future solution, most of TC land in the south will be exchanged with the GC land in the north to establish bizonality but this doesn't mean that TCs alone can decide what is exchanged right now.

Europeans buying former GC land/property in the north might be profitable for some in the short run but it does nothing for unification in the long run. It makes everything more complicated. I agree with Sener Levent on this one. If we're sincere about uniting the island and welcoming GCs in the north, we should stop acting so arrogantly on such a sensitive issue for GCs, so we could expect the same from them.