Cyprus-Forum.com

[Piratis]

This "property commission" was created just to buy Turkey some time. It was just a matter of time for the whole thing to collapse. If the Turks could provide a fair settlement (which would mean paying for the 34 years of illegally occupying the land + giving the land back, or if the GC agreed giving him a fair compensation) then they wouldn't do everything possible to take the cases off the ECHR.

Now this "property commision" is collapsing, the only way out for Turkey is to trick us to accept somehting like Annan plan, so they can achieve the partition that they want, and at the same time the would be declared innocent and would not have to pay a cent. Then we would have to fight each other trying to see how we would compensate ourselves with non existing money.

10 GBP per square meter for prime location land is a double edged sword. I wonder if the people who calculated taht price have thought of the possibility of seeing TC land in the south being "compensated" at that price! Or are we going to hear that it being TC land it has an intrinsically higher value?

Actually Nikitas that would work just fine for them. Don't forget that they took twice as much than what they left behind, and also that they took a lot more of the coast, which worth much more.

[Oracle]

10 GBP per square meter for prime location land is a double edged sword. I wonder if the people who calculated taht price have thought of the possibility of seeing TC land in the south being "compensated" at that price! Or are we going to hear that it being TC land it has an intrinsically higher value?

Knowing our lot we will give them much higher prices just to show we are the good guys again.

This 'Good Guy' attitude stinks and is getting right up my nose.

We should be playing them at their own game and see how they would like it, starting with turning the mosques into strip clubs. bet that would go down well huh?

They have the confidence to behave the way they do because they know no one would behave in the same way back.

We play by the book.

[Nikitas]

Oracle,

We play by the book, which sometimes looks like we are the mugs in this process. But we maintain a serious mature image while the other side are sliding into a farce. Just think:

the invasion was meant to "save" the TCs from imminent danger, yet 34 years later there is less than half of the original TCs left on the island.

separation was supposed to give TCs resources, yet land, the most valuable resource in CYprus is sold off to foreigners as fast as possible.

Turkey supposedly guarantees TC survival but balks when it comes to paying the cost, blackmails the TCs into naturalising mainlanders, accelerating their own extinction.

The compensation system for land is a total joke, even as a PR ploy, but it ties in with the rest of the weirdness. The place is a haven for wanted criminals, has been accused of large scale money laundering by foreign authorities, it grants casino licenses like candy, which use prostitution as customer bait, and all of this is not only seen as excusable but is blamed on the GCs for imposing "isolations". Environmentally the area is a disaster, with the north coast becoming a conurbation from Kyrenia to Karavas, spoiling the area;s natural beauty which is its main selling point.

All the above has been mentioned by TC commentators.

[pantheman]

We play by the book, which sometimes looks like we are the mugs in this process. But we maintain a serious mature image

Yes Nikita, but where has this image go us, absolutely nowhere, we were forced to accept the Ankara Plan (thanks you TPAP), we are force into making concessions, we are forced to provide , provide, provide for these arseholes, and we are still considered to be the bad guys.

Seems to me we would have been better off screwing them for everything we could get as no one is saying anything to them for not being mature.

I am sick of this playing by the book attitude and until we change they will continue to get one over on us.

serious Image, bollocks to that, time for a change me thinks.

[Nikitas]

Pan,

You are overlooking the accomplishments, like entry into the EU, the defence agreement with France, the vast upgrading of defence capabilities, the economic miracle of Cyprus. Image might not sound like much but in the end it is what counts in modern media dominated politics.

[pantheman]

Pan,

You are overlooking the accomplishments, like entry into the EU, the defence agreement with France, the vast upgrading of defence capabilities, the economic miracle of Cyprus. Image might not sound like much but in the end it is what counts in modern media dominated politics.

Nikita,

Maybe, but I think we would have achieved those even if we were not so image friendly. But I guess since it is not possible to prove it, we will never know.

let me ask you this then:

1. Given Turkey has broken every rule in the book, from violations of Int. law, Human rights, ignoring all judgements against her, ignoring and making amockory of all UN resolutions against her, what has the Int. community done to punish her??? Zilch, zero, a big fat nothing.

So you see, we could also have played this game with no consequences.

[Kikapu]

http://www.politis-news.com/cgibin/hweb?-A=811335&-V=articles

Latest case 24/2006 regarding 506 Square Metres in Kyrenia. The Commission awarded a total compensation of 5,000 GBP.

54,373,282GBP value of claims turned to 6,359,500 GBP awarded and a GRAND total of 2,500 GBP was given as compensation of not being able to use the land.

90% of the claims are now being withdrawn and no more GC's applying to this farce are foreseen.

DT,

This money amount is more or less based at 1974 prices, which is what the "Great" Annan Plan had, plus inflation to be paid to the legal owners. In essence, the GC's were expected to get peanuts for their land in the north and the new owners of the GC land could turn it around, once the AP was accepted, and make a ton of money on it by selling it on the open market, because upon an agreed settlement, since the former GC land will be worth a hell of a lot more than before the AP's acceptance. The TC land in the south would have had the same rules, paid by the RoC no doubt, then sell it on the open market later. That is why it is important, that any compensation to be paid for any land during these settlement talks, that the TC's and GC'a alike, will have to be compensated at today's market prices, which result will be , that many TC's and the settlers will rather give the land back to the legal owners, regardless whether they have built a house on it or not, than pay a hell of a lot of money for the land, since the land value will more than likely be worth more than the house, specially if it's built badly.

[roseandchan]

that figure is far too low. the eu courts have made turkey awards some people compensation. has anyone ever been paid?

[Agios Ionas]

So you see, we could also have played this game with no consequences.

I don't think so. The reason Turkey get away with it is because the USA (and the UK) is so eager to have Turkey as an allied to rely on. They want to keep her in NATO, they want to bring her into the EU. They need Turkey.

They want a Turkey to be used, controlled and a Turkey willing to do whatever she is being asked to do. For that to happen you have to throw the dog a bone every now and then.

Before it was the communist threat. The Soviet Union is gone. China is happy (for now) earning money on us by manufacturing toys, clothes and electronics. North Korea will most likely be handled the same way the Chinese was... by business, unless China will bitch slap their last little communist cousin.

The threat of the day is the 'islamist threat' (some call it 'the thirst for oil' ). Turkey is important to the US/UK foreign policies, both of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Some even think that they will use Turkey as an attack dog against Iran. I'm not so sure about that, but anything is possible I guess.

Don't forget that although the Russian bear seems to be hibernating it's quite possible she will wake up someday, and she'll be hungry. I reckon Turkey can very well play a role there too.

Anyway, like Lyndon B. Johnson said... "America is an elephant. Cyprus is a flea. Greece is a flea. If those two fleas continue itching the elephant they may just get whacked by the elephants trunk. Whacked good....". Cyprus would never get away with anything not approved by the big elephant.

I guess Turkey is a flea too, but obviously a flea who isn't itching the elephant, but rather scratching its back. Hence the 'useful flea' get away with a lot the RoC would never get away with.

Nevertheless, I'm happy the RoC is playing by the book. It will pay for itself in the end I'm sure.

[Magnus]

I would quite like to know what the RoC government think about this. We've already had statements that if a BBF solution is reached some people will get land back and others compensated. If this is an indication of their idea of 'compensation' then is there much point in continuing these negotiations?