Cyprus-Forum.com

[brother]

Rehn takes stand against refugees' legal moves

Don't go to court

By Alex Efthyvoulos

VISITING EU Expansion Commissioner Olli Rehn took a stand yesterday against the escalating numbers of court actions by Greek Cypriot refugees trying get back their properties in the occupied north.

This tended to increase tension on the island, he said.

Rehn's involvement in the issue, during his press conference yesterday evening, capped stormy developments over the property issue that had dominated political developments in recent days.

These resulted in flaming rows, not only between the Cyprus government and Turkey and the breakaway state in the north, but also between the Greek Cypriot pro-government and opposition political parties that disagreed on the wisdom of the resort to court action by the refugees over the property issue.

Rehn's summation of the situation was that the developments linked to "the issue of property proves the urgency of a political settlement."

Expanding on this, he said that "a revised Annan Plan will have property rights at its core. The current situation increases tension on the island and I find it difficult to support civil criminal law on an issue that is a political matter.''

Different stand

Replying to an earlier question during his news conference, Rehn said that the EU wants the decisions of its Human Rights Court to be respected. He said this in connection with yesterday's decision by the Rights Court that asked Turkey to try Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan again, because his previous trial resulting in his life imprisonment had been unfair.

Yet, when asked why he did not demand equal respect for the decisions of the Rights Court that supported the right of the refugees to return and to regain their properties in the occupied north, Rehn, took a different stand.

He said the Cyprus decisions of the Rights Court were not enforceable "because of the political situation and division of the island," and that consequently it was necessary to concentrate on a compromise settlement.

"The Annan Plan was worked out and we know its fate. My belief is that we all have to really search for a solution, to be willing to compromise so that we can have a revised and amended and improved plan which could be acceptable to all parties and prove the way for the reunification of the island," he said.

 

Arrest warrants

 

Rehn's visit came a day after Cyprus courts issued arrest warrants against a British estate agent and three Turkish Cypriots who are involved in the development of Greek Cypriot refugee property in the north, and the sale of holiday homes, mostly to British and other European buyers. There have also been other cases by Greek Cypriots who have sued Turkish Cypriots, demanding hefty compensation, for exploiting the refugees' properties without the owners' permission.

The rush of these new cases followed the entry of Cyprus to the EU in May last year. This development makes the decisions of the Cypriot courts enforceable anywhere in the EU and may result in the arrest of persons found guilty anywhere in the EU, or even in the confiscation of their property.

Linda and David Orams were ordered by a Cypriot court to demolish a villa they had built on the property of a Greek Cypriot refugee in Lapithos and to compensate the owner for the use of his property.

If the Orams fail to comply, they may have their property in England confiscated.


http://www.cyprusweekly.com.cy/default. ... geID=304_1


The property issue takes another twist.

[Main_Source]

Im not surprised about the contradiction regarding the rulings of ECHR.
The RoC of Cyprus doesn't asslick the big boys so f*ck the GC.

They are condeming the GC who are legally sueing occupiers...but fail to say anything negative about the Turkish occupation at all.

what do they expect GC to do...

They've had there houses and land stolen for 30 years and the exploitation in the north still goes on, while Talat says he wants a solution. Why should the refugees carry on getting shit upon.

I cant beleive they are condeming the refugees who have suffered for 30 years!!

[LANDJO]

But they have said negative things about the Turkish occupation for 30 years. Isnt it time for some fresh winds?

The ECHR is a highly political institution, and their decisions in the property cases were made at a time when it was en vogue to see Turkey as (almost) a rogue state. I doubt it would have decided the same way today - the judgment would have been referred to the political arena.

[brother]

Dude its going to get worse but you got to do what you got to do and in the real world of polotics you are going to find out how the tassos plan was nothing but hot air or should i say bullshit.

[Anglo]

Now that the RoC has received an official telling off from the people who they thought would support their 'European Solution' will the arrest warrants and court cases stop coming or will they continue to head down this cul-de-sac?

What about Orams case? Would it be better to humiliatingly withdraw the case now or wait for a humiliating rejection in an EU court?

[Main_Source]

Wait for a 'humiliating rejection'...then we'll all see how corrupt this whole thing is.

[garbitsch]

This tended to increase tension on the island, he said.

Main_Source, you cannot expect the property issue be solved before there is a solution in Cyprus, i.e. unification of the island. AS I said earlier, the individuals cannot solve this massive problem. Cyprus problem does not consist of settlers and "stolen" properties.

[Anglo]

Politics always supercedes legalities - it's the law of the jungle

[garbitsch]

Politics always supercedes legalities - it's the law of the jungle

Right. Do not look for logic in politics. We are not following Plato's guidlines for politics. Are we?

[brother]

But its been falling on deaf ears, E.U membership comes at a cost and that is what they say you will do and of course this will apply to turkey and all other concerned parties.