Cyprus-Forum.com

[-mikkie2-]

Turkey was warned one year ago that it would pay the price for the usurpation of the occupied Greek Cypriot properties.

Metin Munir, columnist in Turkish mainland Vatan newspaper on 25 August 2004 published the following commentary, under the title: "Turkey will pay the price for the constructions in the TRNC":
"If you come to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus these days you will not come across an island, you will see a resort. In the heat of August workers, the majority of whom were transported from Turkey, are incessantly building holiday homes, especially in the area of Kyrenia.

I believe that no country of the Mediterranean basin has experienced such feverish construction in such a short period. The houses, most of which are sold before the project starts, are bought almost entirely by foreigners who wish to own a holiday or retirement dwelling.

Compared to one year ago the purchases of immovable properties increased by five times in 2002 reaching 290 thousand square meters. This number was doubled in 2003 reaching 613 thousand square meters. The British are 80% of the buyers and the rest German, Israelis and Turkish Republic citizens.

The construction sector set a record in the growth rate of the TRNC economy. According to information from a Cypriot banker friend of mine in the last 12 months two billion dollars were transferred in the accounts of property development companies in the TRNC from abroad.

My friend said: "To our bank alone for a year now 500,000 pounds sterling come every week". If we consider that the total exports of the TRNC do not exceed 30 million pounds sterling then we understand better the size of these sums.

From the political point of view this construction may render impossible the solution, which already is difficult. Because the buildings are erected almost entirely in land left behind by Greek Cypriots who fled to the South in 1974.

By accepting the decisions of various international courts and the Annan plan the Turkish side accepted that the properties of the Greek Cypriots in the TRNC do not belong to the Turks.

Sooner or later the Greek Cypriots will demand through international courts the equivalent of their properties and they will get it. The day the invoice comes it will be put before Turkey which watches the building activities unmoved but in fact indirectly encourages them.

Turkey cannot escape the responsibility because all the property sales to foreigners are one by one sold with the approval of the TRNC Council of Ministers. Since Turkey supports and holds the TRNC on its feet the international law holds Turkey responsible for the legal and executive actions there.

How many times the properties of the Greek Cypriots change hand and who is the last owner are not at all important. The right of the holder of the title deed of an immovable property cannot be eliminated if that property changes hand through illegal means."

Mr Metin Munir covers the issue of the sale to foreigners of the stolen Greek Cypriot properties in his column in Vatan on 26/08/04 as well.

Mr Metin Munir, inter alia, writes the following:

"A large portion of the 37% of the island on which the TRNC is founded are properties of the Greek Cypriots.

With the encouragement of Turkey these properties were distributed to Turkish Cypriots and Turks who came from Turkey after the 1974 operation.

This distribution was illegal. According to the international law the right of the Greek Cypriots, who abandoned their homes after the 1974 operation, over their properties is still valid.

Nothing changes the legal status of the Greek Cypriot properties before the international law in spite of the fact that they deserved the tragedy of 1974, the Turkish Cypriots abandoned properties in the South and the Turkish Cypriots accepted the Annan plan while the Greeks rejected it".

The columnist goes on stressing that from information he possesses the so-called Council of Ministers of Mr Mehmet Ali Talat proceeds without delay and obstacles approving the sale of Greek Cypriot properties to foreigners but for the properties belonging to Turkish Cypriots the approach is different so that Turkish Cypriot properties are not sold to foreigners.

Mr Munir repeats that the real owners and proprietors of the Greek Cypriot houses and land are the holders of the original title deeds, that the title deeds given by the occupation regime are illegal and concludes:

"Turkey, which recognizes the European Courts and wishes to start accession negotiations with the EU next year, cannot be cleared of any political or legal responsibility.

While the Turkish Cypriots are selling the properties getting rich, Turkey is buying a very big headache. Responsible for the Greek Cypriot properties is not the TRNC - nobody recognizes it - but Turkey.

For this reason it will be to the benefit of Ankara to re-examine the building rush in the island."

[Kifeas]

Well! If all this is been said by a Turkish journalist, who profoundly seems to know what he is talking about, what else can we say?

[cannedmoose]

Does Vatan have a large circulation? Also, what is the background of this journalist, traditionally liberal or a turned hard-liner? Nevertheless, a cogent article certainly and a surprising one from a mainland Turkish perspective.

[cannedmoose]

Ah, just found this...

---------------------------

Metin Munir is a contributor to the Financial Times and Euromoney, a European financial magazine. He is a former financial commentator for Vatan, a mass-circulation daily in Istanbul. Munir is a Turkish-Cypriot, but he lives and works in Istanbul. He has been writing for Financial Times since the early 1980s. In addition, he has contributed to other publications and worked for Turkish newspapers. Munir worked as a correspondent for The Washington Post and the BBC in the late 1970s and early 1980s, covering Turkish politics, corruption, terrorism and the Iran-Iraq war. Munir is a member of the Center for Public Integrity's International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Explains the liberal perspective and the direct interest in Cyprus.

[brother]

so many conflicting reports, makes my head spin

[Kifeas]

Ah, just found this...

---------------------------

Metin Munir is a contributor to the Financial Times and Euromoney, a European financial magazine. He is a former financial commentator for Vatan, a mass-circulation daily in Istanbul. Munir is a Turkish-Cypriot, but he lives and works in Istanbul. He has been writing for Financial Times since the early 1980s. In addition, he has contributed to other publications and worked for Turkish newspapers. Munir worked as a correspondent for The Washington Post and the BBC in the late 1970s and early 1980s, covering Turkish politics, corruption, terrorism and the Iran-Iraq war. Munir is a member of the Center for Public Integrity's International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Explains the liberal perspective and the direct interest in Cyprus.

All the above simply make his point of view, even more credible!

Where is Anglo to read it?

[cannedmoose]

Where is Anglo to read it?

Never mind anglo, if Piratis were here he'd go

[brother]

Yes..where is piratis and insan lately, are most prolific members are missing.

[turkcyp]

deleted by the author...

[boulio]

We know that GC side would do anything in their power to stop TC economical advancement. This is proven with economic isolations of the last 30 years, and their resistance on direct trade and direct flights to north in EU recently. So what is the point of TC side showing good will.


this is absolutly not true,the green line regs.,the ammohostos offer,8-10,000 t/c working in the south.the 300,000,000 dollars from the EU are good offers why has the trnc not excepted them or furthered on them?