Cyprus-Forum.com

[zan]

Refugee claims state persecution over land-swap deal
By Jean Christou
A GREEK Cypriot refugee who swapped his property in the north with a Turkish Cypriot for land in Larnaca has told the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that the government is persecuting him over the deal.

Mike Tymvios already had an application with the ECHR when he decided to apply to the newly established property commission in the north last year.

His application was approved for a land swap and the ECHR is currently considering whether the deal constitutes a friendly settlement.

The legal and political implications of the pending decision could be devastating for the Greek Cypriot side.

Tymvios said in his recent letter to the ECHR that since his land swap became public knowledge, “the government of the refugees as it likes to call itself” has “maliciously and vindictively” been persecuting him.

“Due to accumulated debts and subsequent bankruptcy procedures, the government of Cyprus has proceeded and sold through the Official Receiver last week a plot of land belonging to me without informing me prior to the sale and at a price much less than its value,” Tymvios said in his letter to the court.

“They are now proceeding to do the same with my clinical lab and all its equipment. This in effect will leave me without work and all this because I accepted the friendly settlement.”

In a further open letter addressed to Greek Cypriot refugees dated Friday, Tymvios, who declared bankruptcy some time ago, said the government through the Official Receiver charged with liquidating his assets, sold a piece of land behind without informing him.
Tymvios said the land was sold on January 17 for £850,000 (€1.45 million). The money would have gone towards paying Tymvios’ creditors.

However, he said, four days later the piece of land was back on the market for £1.3 million (€ 2.2 million). Tymvios said he suspected irregular practices as far as the deal was concerned.
He has taken legal steps to secure full compensation for the property in question, which is in the government-controlled areas.

Tymvios also said the government was now in the process of selling off the medical equipment from the clinical lab he operated in Nicosia.

“All of this persecution began in the past three months after the announcement of the friendly settlement,” Tymvios said in his letter to the refugees.

He also warned them not to try and secure compensation for their land in the north “because the government will hound you like they are hounding me”.

Tymvios has been in financial difficulties for some years and wrote to the government seeking to use his property in the north as collateral for a loan but the government told him that for loan purposes his land was effectively worthless. They did offer him “moral support”. In the end Tymvios resorted to the property commission.

If the ECHR decides to recognise the commission as a means of securing friendly settlements, it will throw into doubt the future of hundreds of pending Greek Cypriot cases before the Court.

In addition to the political ramifications of recognition of an “official” Turkish Cypriot body, it will also raise legal questions as to how Turkish Cypriot properties in the south of the island are managed by the relevant government body.

Another complication arises from the fact that the land Tymvios swapped with the Turkish Cypriot contains two schools, residential homes and businesses.
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Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008

[zan]

No body wants to comment on why this person is being hounded?????

And what has happened to those EU laws that are supposed to protect us and the ones we can rely on as TCs in the "RoC".....

[tessintrnc]

I think it boils down to the fact that recommendations (and even laws), the GC government "picks and chooses" those bits which it will abide by, and ignores the rest. I personally do not believe that all the GC's will want to come and live in their former homes, (the fact that there quite a few of these cases in the pipline proves that) and being able to claim compensation or even a "swop" seems like like a good idea for those people..............................except it scuppers the plans of one United and Greek Cyp controlled Cyprus. - In my opinion -
Tess

[Nikitas]

The individual you chose Zan is not a characteristic case of a rfugee. He is the heir of a sizeable family fortune, was in business for himself and incurred a large debt. I do not want to get too personal due to family aquaintance and Cyprus is a small place. The situation has nothing to do with EOKA etc. It is a case of a wealthy and large landowner wanting to liquidate assets in the north.

Tess, the question of residence is one aspect, ownership and possession of land is another. For example, I may own and possess an orchard in Zodia, and in fact cultivate it and make money out of it, while living in Limassol. The distances in Cyprus are small enough to make such property use realistic. So I might not want my house (residence) in Zodia but will certainly want my orchards.

The property aspect is not that complicated when we separae it from the residence issue. Once Famagusta comes back on line, with the all the business it will generate, the property issue will assume new dimensions. If you calculate the demolition and clearance of all the buildings, a small part of the total project, you can imagine the size of the investment.

[Piratis]

I think it boils down to the fact that recommendations (and even laws), the GC government "picks and chooses" those bits which it will abide by, and ignores the rest. I personally do not believe that all the GC's will want to come and live in their former homes, (the fact that there quite a few of these cases in the pipline proves that) and being able to claim compensation or even a "swop" seems like like a good idea for those people..............................except it scuppers the plans of one United and Greek Cyp controlled Cyprus. - In my opinion -
Tess

Of course people do not want to live under Turkish occupation.
Free Cyprus from foreign occupation, give Cyprus back to its rightful owners, and then we will see if people will choose not to return.

[purdey]

Is EOKA still alive.Yes in the minds of the weak,and the heart of the bully.I saw a young man in Limassol last summer spray it on a wall nr the old market.Fortunately he was given a light beating by other Cypriots...

[Piratis]

EOKA has nothing to do with the article Zan posted.

The principles of EOKA for fight for freedom will always be alive until Cyprus is liberated from foreign occupation.

[purdey]

Don't make me laugh,they were a bunch of renegade bullies who prayed on the weak and defenceless.I only aswered the title not the thread....

[Piratis]

Don't make me laugh,they were a bunch of renegade bullies who prayed on the weak and defenceless.I only aswered the title not the thread....

The bullies where the British colonialists who where on our island against our will.

[umit07]

EOKA has nothing to do with the article Zan posted.

The principles of EOKA for fight for freedom will always be alive until Cyprus is liberated from foreign occupation.

That is something up to you. We can gov. Cyprus as equal partners or we can just take our piece.