Cyprus-Forum.com

[Tim Drayton]

I thought the following brief article from Afrika would be of interest to people here.

http://www.afrikagazetesi.net/modules.p ... e&sid=1297

Title Deeds for Turkish Property in the South

The Greek Cypriot administration will also give title deeds to refugees from the north who are living in Turkish property in the south. But these title deeds will not be fraudulent, like those given to refugees from the south in the north. In the south, the exact opposite of the practice in the north is being implemented. In the north, those to whom Greek Cypriot property was distributed were given fraudulent title deeds and now the Immovable Property Commission is paying compensation to the Greek Cypriots who are the real owners of this property. In the south, on the other hand, before title deeds are issued to Greek Cypriots living in Turkish property, the property is being purchased from Turkish Cypriots. The Greek Cypriot Interior Minister Silikiotis has confirmed that they are attempting to purchase Turkish Cypriot property so that refugees may be given title deeds. Silikiotis, saying that efforts were being made to give title deeds to all refugees, pointed out that it was legal for them to purchase Turkish property and noted that this property was not being bought at a high price. Purchases for the most part consist of Turkish land on which refugee housing has been built.

[My translation]

[erolz3]

The problem is Tim is that it is the RoC that makes it impossible for those on GC land in the north to 'legalise' their use and ownership via concentual sale even if they find the owner and reach an agreement with them to purchase it, the RoC will not recognise such a sale as legal or allow RoC title deeds to be issued, as I understand it. Imagine if the entity seeking to purchase GC land in the north with consent was the TRNC itself, what the reaction of the RoC would be.

A secondary issue as far as I see it, is that for many TC return emotionaly means not so much return to a place but return to a time when they suffered as a community, and thus there are I suspect many TC that would welcome an offer of purchase for property they have in the South, for there is much less desire for return.

One has to wonder how the RoC is dealing with potential 'double dipping' issues. I have long been of the view that ensuring that 'double dipping' does not occur is actualy a relatively trival thing for the RoC to establish. Does this new initative show this is the case ?

[boulio]

what i dont understand is say there is a G/C REFUGE from morphou and now gets a title deed from the roc for a house on t/c land in larnaca .what happens if there is a solution and and morphou is returned to the g/c administed state?does he get his house in morphou and has title to the house the roc gave him as well in larnaca?

[Tim Drayton]

what i dont understand is say there is a G/C REFUGE from morphou and now gets a title deed from the roc for a house on t/c land in larnaca .what happens if there is a solution and and morphou is returned to the g/c administed state?does he get his house in morphou and has title to the house the roc gave him as well in larnaca?

That's what I wonder, too. If Afrika has got this right, then the RoC government will surely have to get refugees to sign away their rights to their original properties in order to get title deeds for the ones they are now ocupying. Otherwise they would be 'double dipping' in a blatantly unfair manner. If this happened, the consequences could be huge for the way the Cyprus problem moves forward.

[Vincehugo]

what i dont understand is say there is a G/C REFUGE from morphou and now gets a title deed from the roc for a house on t/c land in larnaca .what happens if there is a solution and and morphou is returned to the g/c administed state?does he get his house in morphou and has title to the house the roc gave him as well in larnaca?

That's what I wonder, too. If Afrika has got this right, then the RoC government will surely have to get refugees to sign away their rights to their original properties in order to get title deeds for the ones they are now ocupying. Otherwise they would be 'double dipping' in a blatantly unfair manner. If this happened, the consequences could be huge for the way the Cyprus problem moves forward.

If the RoC Government did do this then maybe they could call it Es Deger or Exchange land then everyone would understand the situation - based as it is on an approach adopted by other Governments in the past. This type of exchange has proved particularly useful when a community is displaced, embargoed and oppressed - allowing those affected to move forward rather than waiting, unrealistically for a time when the clock will be turned back 35 years.