Noisy protest
Thousands of Turkish Cypriots, accompanied by a considerable number of British expatriates and other foreigners who have built homes in North Cyprus, displayed their anger against the European Court of Justice (ECJ) verdict in the Orams case.
A petition, signed by thousands, was handed to Deputy Secretary David Reed at the British High Commission to be conveyed to the European Union and United Nations officials.
It will be recalled that the ECJ released its verdict on 28 April ordering the Orams couple to demolish their villa, built on land owned by a Greek Cypriot in Lapta in North Cyprus and to pay compensation to the original owner. Unfortunately, the court disregarded the facts of Cyprus prior to its verdict:
-The fact that there had been a military coup by Greek colonels in Cyprus on 15 July 1974, ensued by Guarantor Turkey’s military intervention and a population exchange in 1975,
-The fact that about 160,000 Greek Cypriots voluntarily moved to South Cyprus and about 40,000 Turkish Cypriots moved to the North of the island, leaving behind their properties, to live under their respective administrations,
-The fact that these displaced persons had to be settled and rehabilitated,
-The fact that properties; homes, offices, hotels, business centres, orchards, fields etc had been allocated to the new settlers,
-The fact that these people had developed and built on land which was bought on the understanding that the property issue would be settled in a package deal agreement.
While the Cyprus peace talks continued, the ECJ decision caused further complications and tension and slowed down the UN-sponsored negotiation process to achieve a final, fair and acceptable solution.
The court showed no interest in what had happened to Turkish Cypriot properties abandoned by their owners who had to flee from Greek Cypriot armed attacks in the late 1950s and 1960s. More than 100 Turkish Cypriot villages had been evacuated. Homes, fields, orchards, building sites originally owned by Turkish Cypriots had been usurped, used and developed by Greek Cypriot authorities, estate agents, property mafia and civilians.
Housing estates, churches, car parks, hotels, even airports have been built on Turkish owned lands. Larnaca airport, Paphos airport, housing estates for Greek Cypriots from the North, Evkaf (Turkish Religious Trust Foundation) properties have been distributed and title deeds have been issued in Greek Cypriot names.
Greek Cypriot authorities, profiteers and the property mafia have all along got away with their illegal acts. As the English say – ‘It is the early bird that gets the worm’, Greek Cypriots escaped with their haul. Until now.
What will happen when former Turkish property owners file court cases at the ECJ against the real thieves, the Greek Cypriots?
More complications, tension and possibly a break-down at the Cyprus peace negotiations between the leaders of the two peoples, Demitris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat seem inevitable. Is this what the ECJ wants? What about the years old UN-sponsored Cyprus talks, which have continued for 40 years? In my view, and according to political experts in the North, an imminent deadlock will become inescapable.
A much desired re-united Cyprus, a bicommunal, bizonal federation, based on political equality will become a dream with permanent division of the island and the separation of the two peoples with deeper mistrust.
No wonder, a former Foreign Minister Vedat Celik told the Cyprus Observer and ADA TV, “the ECJ verdict is a political decision, backing the Greek Cypriots with glaring bias, so that Turkish Cypriots will be reduced into a simple, silent minority and will disappear through the osmosis plan. The ECJ ruling is not binding and will not deter Turkish Cypriots from exercising their right to determine their own future and to retain their independent state. If and when a Cyprus settlement is worked out the property issue will be resolved through exchange or compensation.”
This is exactly what was emphasized in the placards, slogans and banners carried by NGOS, community and other organisations on Tuesday at the protest demonstration before the British High Commission in Nicosia.
President Talat, Spokesman Ercakica, Political party leaders, Turkey’s government leaders etc who offered their readiness and willingness for an honourable, peaceful Cyprus solution, have all expressed their disappointment and have underlined that the ECJ decision would undermine the peaceful atmosphere on the island and would hamper the Talat-Christofias negotiations under UN auspices.
The coming EU-Turkey talks may also be affected. Maybe, that is precisely what the Greek Cypriots and Greece are expecting. They hope to squeeze Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots into a tight corner in order to get extensive concessions. However, the developments may lead to unforeseeable consequences and ‘the estimates and calculations made at home did not fall in line with the outside market’ may come true. Let the British High Court consider the ECJ decision and let them exercise applicable justice. Let them declare, “Greeks and Greek Cypriots who caused so much bloodshed, devastation and instability in the region have to pay a price. They are not in a position to manipulate international organisations and authorities to dictate their terms.”