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[retired2cyprus]

Ombudswoman fury at treatment of Turkish Cypriot property enquiries
By Elias Hazou

OMBUDSWOMAN Iliana Nicolaou has lashed the government for giving the runaround to Turkish Cypriots inquiring about the status and value of their land in the free areas.

Nicolaou’s office was alerted to several cases where Turkish Cypriots owning land in the south areas before 1974 wrote to the Guardian of Turkish Cypriot Properties only to receive vague answers and generalities.

One Turkish Cypriot couple owning considerable property contacted the Guardian in May 2004. The couple wanted to know the legal status of their real estate, whether the property had been appropriated, the reason for the appropriation and the estimated amount of a possible compensation.

But with no response forthcoming for six months, the couple instructed their lawyer to write to the Interior Ministry, which acts as the Guardian.

The first signs of life from the ministry came in January 2005, when Giorgos Theodorou, deputy director of the Guardian, cited the provisions of the salient law, informing the Turkish Cypriots that compensation was only possible after a comprehensive settlement to the political problem on the island.

In his letter, Theodorou said the couple’s property was “used” for the construction of a government compound housing refugees. His choice of words was interesting because use of Turkish Cypriot land in the south does not entail compensation, but appropriation does.
In a separate case, part of the land belonging to a Turkish Cypriot woman was appropriated to build the Evretou dam. Theodorou informed the woman that the compensation due “is being deposited” (as opposed to “has been deposited”) into a special fund.

When the exasperated Turkish Cypriot couple wrote a second time to the Interior Ministry for more detailed information, again they received no word, prompting them to report the matter to the Ombudswoman.

Yet Nicolaou herself came up against the same brick wall when she asked the Interior Ministry to explain the delays and the inadequate information. She was simply told that “the matter is being investigated”.

By November, Nicolaou had had enough and asked to meet with Theodorou, who once again was less than enlightening, assuring her that the case was being handled according to the law.
From her first-hand experience with the case, Nicolaou then drafted a damning report, saying she saw no reason why the Turkish Cypriots could not have been given the information they wanted. The Interior Ministry should have all the data on file, she added.

Nicolaou went on to take a dig at the authorities, remarking that “the Guardian should on his own initiative seek to inform interested parties, so as to convince them that their property is being properly and adequately managed.”

That was an oblique way of saying that the Guardian should divulge all information if it had nothing to hide.

“Further, it would totally arbitrary to assume that because the Turkish Cypriots were deprived management of their properties they are also not entitled to information on their properties.

“Whereas the Guardian substitutes the Turkish Cypriot owners vis-?-vis their rights and obligations for the duration of the anomalous situation [division of the island], it nonetheless lacks the essential ingredient of ownership, which remains with the… registered owners.
“Despite the fact that the Guardian has possession of the properties, this does not mean that the Turkish Cypriots’ ownership is mitigated in any way… on the contrary, their ownership rights are not formal but very real, and consequently the interested parties have every right to be informed about the status of the properties.”

On February 24, Nicolaou gave the Interior Ministry a 15-day deadline by which it should answer all the queries of the Turkish Cypriot couple in question. It expires this coming Monday.

Commentators suggest nothing Machiavellian should be read into the Interior Ministry’s reluctance. Instead, they propose a far simpler explanation, namely, that the government has in fact lost track of what happened to many Turkish Cypriot properties in the wake of the 1974 events.

What is suspicious, according to the same observers, is the Guardian’s response that the compensation for appropriated property is “being deposited” in a special fund. This, according to some, is a telltale sign that perhaps the special fund is not as well-run as initially thought.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005

[andri_cy]

oh me oh my..... so where did the Turkish Cypriots expect the Greek Cypriots that became refugees after the INVASION to live? In the streets? The Turkish Cypriots didnt have to leave no one made them. But since someone did take the land from the Greek Cypriots and made it impossible for them to live under the Turkish Occupation and they had to live, it is only fair that if they need homes, they can build them where there is room. After all their land is only being used it hasnt been appropriated. If Turkish real estate agents can sell people's homes in the north, then those people have the right to build a home in the south where they can live in until they can get their homes back. Dont you think?

[lysi]

Retired2cyprus, you and those other british crooks and thieves who are living in houses build on stolen greek cypriot land must know that you will never be the legal owners of that land.
Sooner or later you and those other british mugs who have bought homes in the occupied north will be wondering why you have wasted your dirty money on buying homes built on land that does not belong to you.

[bigfatlondonboy]

oh dear lysi's upset again......

[MR-from-NG]

Don't listen to this lot Retired2Cyprus. You have made a wise decision in buying in the north. Your title deeds are legal and binding.

This lot call Istanbul Constantinople and are hoping to claim it back one day soon and transform Aya Sofya into a church.

They are clearly smoking good stuff or living on cuckoo land.

[growuptcs]

mrfromng, is that civil of you giving someone information like that,?when you wouldn't dare buy GC land with your own money, speaking today, before settlement. shows what kind of person you are.

[Agios Amvrosios]

This Information should not be free. A reporting fee should be paid for administrative expenses.

[lysi]

Bigfatlondonboy, the turks occupy my village for 32years, it was a 100% greek cypriot village, so why wont your turkish army pals let me and my familly return to our homes ?
You think i should sit back and not complain about scumbags from britain who are buying cheap homes built on land that is stolen from greek cypriots ?

[bigfatlondonboy]

lysi how can you expect people to take you seriously when all you do is slag off the british.i'm british and take your insults personally and also just for the record the only turks i know have a kebab shop in gillingham.so do your self a favour and keep your insults to your self or if you really have to insult all british i will gladly read any pm's you wish to send me because you really are getting boring and it must be getting on other people's nerves as well...
hugs b.f.l.b

[growuptcs]

bigfatlondonboy, how can she not react when she hears about injustices to her familys property. Everyones entitled to react a certain way, just like when Turkey heard about the Paris talks as a way forward. They didn't react too well, but, have every right to react like that for the time being. I just don't think that they can hold a grudge longer than, till the end of this year, topps. But we'll wait n see.
GC's are allowed to react till there is no solution, so stop crying foul. Remember that we had everything to lose, and we did, while you didn't lose but gain everything from us with nothing to sacrifice.