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[insan]

Cyprus: Bridging the Property Divide

Europe Report N°210 9 Dec 2010

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS


Politicians in Ankara, especially, should relaunch and sustain their outreach to Greek Cypriots to assure them of Turkey’s commitment to seeing through a settlement and return of property. For Ankara in particular, indefinite occupation would invite higher costs, both in court judgements and in its efforts to join the European Union. Greek Cypriots, on the other hand, should pay heed to international court rulings that challenge their conviction that the rights of original owners and their heirs supersede all other considerations. A compromise solution will have to accept that not all Greek Cypriots will automatically be able to return to their old properties within a new bizonal, bicommunal federation.

RECOMMENDATIONS

To the leaderships of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities:

1. Convert the Greek Cypriot proposal to link negotiations on property, territory and settlers into the first stage of the international conference on all negotiating topics proposed by the Turkish Cypriots.

2. Commission in both zones a joint, rapid and representative audit of land owned by the other community to achieve a mutually agreed categorisation of properties.

3. Prepare expeditiously and jointly an economic impact study on the various proposals to redevelop property in both zones, including examination of the feasibility for normalisation of the ghost resort of Varosha ahead of a political settlement.

4. To bridge disagreements on basic approaches to the property issue:

a) both sides should state that all pre-1974 home owners have the right in principle to reclaim their primary residence;

b) the Greek Cypriot side should prepare public opinion to accept that rights to restitution in a Turkish Cypriot constituent state may be restricted by bizonality and in mutually agreed cases such as public usage;

c) the Turkish Cypriot side should offer as much reinstatement of property ownership as possible within the context of bizonality, while protecting the rights of the current users, especially if they themselves are displaced and are using the property as a primary residence; and

d) alternative accommodation should be provided for those who have to vacate current housing and have no other home.

To the Greek Cypriot leadership:

5. Make legal provision for property exchanges between displaced owners from both sides that have been approved by the Turkish Cypriot Immovable Property Commission (IPC).

6. Stop discouraging Greek Cypriot applications to the IPC.

7. Allow Turkish Cypriots residing in the north who own abandoned properties in the south to seek the same remedies open to owners residing elsewhere.

To the Turkish Cypriot leadership:

8. Ensure fairness and transparency in IPC procedures, compensation calculations and payment details and commit to extending its mandate beyond the end-2011 deadline.

9. Remove residency restrictions on inheritance of property in the north by heirs of displaced Greek Cypriots.

10. Support ongoing talks with a construction freeze on Greek Cypriot-owned property in the north.

To the Turkish leadership:

11. Relaunch and sustain efforts to assure Greek Cypriots of Turkey’s commitment to a settlement, including the handing back of property and territory along the lines of previous UN plans.

Nicosia/Istanbul/Brussels, 9 December 2010

http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/e ... ivide.aspx

[Hermes]

You should also have included the preceding paragraph...

Turkish Cypriots should recognise that while they want to retain a majority in their constituent state, two thirds to three quarters of property in their area was owned by Greek Cypriots in 1974, when the present division of the island took place. They must understand that the right to restitution holds great importance in Greek Cypriot discourse. Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders must remind their populations that the division of the island has no legal basis.

[boomerang]

without shrinking the north state considerably the proposals are unachievable...

[insan]

You should also have included the preceding paragraph...

Turkish Cypriots should recognise that while they want to retain a majority in their constituent state, two thirds to three quarters of property in their area was owned by Greek Cypriots in 1974, when the present division of the island took place. They must understand that the right to restitution holds great importance in Greek Cypriot discourse. Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders must remind their populations that the division of the island has no legal basis.

It is said that 45-50 thousand of GC refugees were from Varosha... This is almost equal to 1/3 of GC refugees. The number of TCs who fled/moved from South to North was about 60 thousand. It is believed that vast majority of TCs would like to exchange their properties left in the South with the ones they were given in the North... 60+50=110.000

In this case, about 1/3 of the properties belong to GC refugees that currently being occupied by the citizens/residents of TRNC could be restituted to the legal owners...

Restitution of the properties of about 1/3 of GC refugees does not mean that all of them would take up primary residence in the North but they should be allowed if they wanted so and fulfilled the relevant legal necessities...

I'm not against the mixing of particularly the 2 main communities of Cyprus which have been rivals for many decades because of some reasons but until they, besides the Turks and Greeks truly reconcile, have common interests on some vital issues such as geo-politics; I won't support the political equality of 2 constituıent states...

Howeever, I could offer absolute political equality for the GCs who would take up primary residence in the Turkish Cypriot State of Federal Cyprus...

I know nothing would satisfy some people on both side of Cyprus! Now start firing at me!

I'll watch u with great pleasure!

[Get Real!]

The number of TCs who fled/moved from South to North was about 60 thousand.

That's more like the number of times you fart while posting...

I'm not against the mixing of particularly the 2 main communities of Cyprus

You mean your two main brain cells!


Go back to sleep you little Turkish clown...

[insan]

The number of TCs who fled/moved from South to North was about 60 thousand.

That's more like the number of times you fart while posting...

I'm not against the mixing of particularly the 2 main communities of Cyprus

You mean your two main brain cells!


Go back to sleep you little Turkish clown...

That number includes the TC refugees of 1963-1973 who fled or moved to northern areas of Cyprus and the ones who emigrated from Cyprus to other countries between 1963-1974, u kırokittian garragozzi!

[insan]

The ICG says that flagging negotiations could be revived by compromises. It said “innovative proposals” by the Turkish Cypriots “deserved careful consideration”.

A Greek Cypriot proposal to link negotiations on property, territory and settlers could be adapted to become the first stage of a proposal the Turkish Cypriots have made for an international conference on all negotiating topics.

“The two sides should commission a rapid joint audit of land owned in both parts of the island and an economic impact study of redevelopment proposals,” the report added.

“Regardless of what happens in the negotiations, the Greek Cypriots should make legal provisions for mutually agreed property swaps between displaced owners from both sides. Turkish Cypriots must ensure fairness and transparency in the procedures of the Immovable Property Commission they have created to handle Greek Cypriot claims. Turkey should re-launch and sustain its efforts to assure Greek Cypriots of its commitment to a settlement, including the handing back of property and territory along the lines of previous UN plans.”

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/icg-t ... e/20101210

[BirKibrisli]

The number of TCs who fled/moved from South to North was about 60 thousand.

That's more like the number of times you fart while posting...

I'm not against the mixing of particularly the 2 main communities of Cyprus

You mean your two main brain cells!


Go back to sleep you little Turkish clown...

That number includes the TC refugees of 1963-1973 who fled or moved to northern areas of Cyprus and the ones who emigrated from Cyprus to other countries between 1963-1974, u kırokittian garragozzi!

Do not bother with this provocateur,Insan...
We know that in his little world there are no Turkish Cypriots...We are all Ottoman Remnants who couldn't wait to abandon our ancestral homes and lands in order to serve Turkey's expansionist interests...This little peepsqueek spends his free time petrified of the day when the 'balance of power' might change,and he would get the opportunity to shit in his pants for the fear of the Turkish soldiers....

[AWE]

The ICG says that flagging negotiations could be revived by compromises. It said “innovative proposals” by the Turkish Cypriots “deserved careful consideration”.

A Greek Cypriot proposal to link negotiations on property, territory and settlers could be adapted to become the first stage of a proposal the Turkish Cypriots have made for an international conference on all negotiating topics.

“The two sides should commission a rapid joint audit of land owned in both parts of the island and an economic impact study of redevelopment proposals,” the report added.

“Regardless of what happens in the negotiations, the Greek Cypriots should make legal provisions for mutually agreed property swaps between displaced owners from both sides. Turkish Cypriots must ensure fairness and transparency in the procedures of the Immovable Property Commission they have created to handle Greek Cypriot claims. Turkey should re-launch and sustain its efforts to assure Greek Cypriots of its commitment to a settlement, including the handing back of property and territory along the lines of previous UN plans.”

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/icg-t ... e/20101210

will never happen as nothing in Cyprus is rapid, and both sides cant don't anything as close as joint!

[boulio]

what i really dont understand is that i always though that this had to do with political rights?when did it become a property issue?