Landmark court ruling means Britons could be forced to abolish homes in Cyprus
A recent ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) could have a serious impact on thousands of British, Germans (and others) who illegally bought land in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus, or northern Cyprus.
The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg
Let me explain why:
1. After the Turkish invasion against Cyprus in 1974, around 200,000 Greek Cypriots were forced to abandon their homes and properties in the north to save their lives. They are the legitimate owners of their properties even though the properties are under military occupation and they can not exploit them.
2. Since then, their properties have been taken illegally by the Turkish regime. Many houses and properties of Greek Cypriots have been illegally sold to foreigners, in their majority British and Germans.
A map of Cyprus
The Apostolides vs Orams case http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolides_v_Orams
——–
1. In 1974, a Greek Cypriot refugee, an architect, Meletis Apostolides who now lives in southern Cyprus, was forced to abandon his land after the Turkish military invasion.
2. His land was later illegally sold to a British couple, the Orams, who build a holiday house on it.
3. The ECJ judgement, backed the efforts of Meletis Apostolides, to reclaim his land.
Foreign Ministries in various countries have issued announcements, warning their citizens not to buy properties in northern occupied Cyprus which belong to Greek Cypriot refugees and are being usurped and illegally exploited by the Turkish regime.
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on buying property in northern Cyprus http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/europe/cyprus?ta=general&pg=7
Greek Cypriot Meletis Apostolides and his wife
In detail
——-
1. Greek Cypriot refugee Apostolides took the British couple to a court in Cyprus, which ruled that the legal owner of the land is in fact Apostolides, whose family was forced to leave the north as a result of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the occupation of the island’s northern third.
2. The Cypriot court ordered in 2004 the Orams to demolish the house and pay compensation to the rightful owner of the land.
3. But a British court later backed the British couple, which said EU laws and verdicts by Greek Cypriot courts were not enforceable in the Turkish occupied north, where Greek Cypriots do not exercise effective control, due to the Turkish military occupation.
British Linda Orams and her lawyer
The ECJ historic ruling
———–
1. Overturning the British court decision, the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice said: “A judgement of a court in the Republic of Cyprus must be recognised and enforced by the other member states even if it concerns land situated in the northern part of the island.”
2. It also said that Greek Cypriot legal verdicts are binding throughout the EU bloc.
3. “It is common ground that the land is situated in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and, therefore, the Cypriot court had jurisdiction to decide the case since the relevant provision of the Brussels I Regulation relates to the international jurisdiction of the member states and not to their domestic jurisdiction”, the ECJ said in its ruling.
4. ECJ adds that “Consequently, the recognition and enforcement of the judgments of the Cypriot court cannot be refused in the United Kingdom on that ground”.
Judges at the European Court of Justice
The impact of the ECJ ruling
——-
1. The British couple could now face court action to seize their UK assets if they do not demolish the house and pay compensation as the Cypriot court ordered in 2004.
2. There are an estimated 5,000 Britons living in northern Cyprus, with a sizeable proportion of them in disputed properties. The area was predominantly Greek Cypriot before 1974.
3. The European Court of Justice ruling could encourage many other Greek Cypriots to take legal action against foreigners living in disputed properties in northern occupied Cyprus.
4. The ECJ’s ruling could stop to a great extent the usurpation of Greek Cypriot land in Turkish occupied Cyprus
The villa built illegally on Greek Cypriot property
British Media reporting on the case
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8022238.stm
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=asoJPS9YV55g&refer=uk
(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)
Loading ...
This could have big implications for the northern Cyprus economy (though the world-wide recession was probably hitting it too).
How do you think this will effect talks between the two sides?
First of all the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus should not rely their economy on stolen properties of refugees.
This is against international law, against numerous UNSC resolutions.
The ECJ decision has already affected the ongoing talks between the two sides. If Turkey really wanted to abide by the rule of law, it would have stopped the usurpation of properties in the occupied areas.
But as Erdogan, the Turkish Premier said recently, their aim is to achieve the final partition of Cyprus with a solution of two states. This was Turkey’s goal already in 1974 when it invaded Cyprus.
Turkey is not cooperating in talks for a cyprus solution, the ECJ decision will just be a pretext for Ankara to once more block the talks.
I’m wondering what’s the situation in such a case with Turkish Cypriot properties in the south part of the island? Meaning, when they left their houses in 1974 to move to the north part of the island as well - what happened with their houses and their lands?
Hi Anita, Thanks for the question,
Turkish Cypriot properties in southern Cyprus are under the control of the government of Cyprus and have not been illegally exploited. They are being protected by the Ministry of Interior.
Thanks for the answer, Athena! So does it mean that nobody can enter those properties and they are being closed (e.g., like that area (Dead City) in Famagusta, which is being controled by the Turkish army and where nobody can enter)?
If this is so, then it’s really unfair from the other side not to respect property of Greek Cypriots… And this is not the first time when I hear about it
Anita,
Properties of Greek Cypriots in the Turkish occupied north are being exploited, usurped and illegally taken by the Turkish regime, which sells them and builds hotels, villas, casinos on them, refusing to give them back to their legitimate owners.
Turkey has also destroyed churches, monasteries, cemeteries, and cathedrals in the occupied areas.
Christian icons in churches have been destroyed by Turks or sold in the black market.
The ghost city you are referring at, is Famagusta, which is in the Turkish occupied areas.
Turkey is obliged according to UNSC resolution 550 to give the town back to its lawful owners, the Greek Cypriots. But instead, Turkey is refusing and still holds the site isolated.
You can read about it here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varosha_(Famagusta)
Thanks for your interest!
I love visiting coffee houses in all countries I visit, including Turkey. Meeting the real people, these are a few comments we heard. A few sentences from an article I wrote.
“What’s all the commotion about Cyprus? Cyprus is Turkey. We will never give it up!”
Regarding: “The Re-birth Of The Ottoman Empire, 2004″
The constant comments we heard at the Turkish Coffee Houses (Sometimes scary with the intensity) was: “You are seeing the Re-birth of the Ottoman Empire. We have Cyprus, Kosovo, Bosnia, Macedonia and Thrace. One day we will have Greece and Europe without firing a shot.” Real talk from Turkish Coffee houses in Turkey.
When asked how? A bright student popped up and shouted “Simple! Demographics, just changing the Demographics.” We are already doing this in Europe,13 million brothers in Germany, 6 million in France, 2 million in each England and Netherlands. Our birthrate triples while their’s declines.”
Ted,
changing the demographic structure in Cyprus, is indeed a Turkish strategy to invade and occupy a county without having to use its army.
What is happening in Cyprus is a demographic change/crime of first degree.
Thousands of Turks from Anatolia, settlers, come to the northern occupied areas of Cyprus. Even Turkish Cypriots themselves feel threatened by this and many TC have chosen to immigrate to other countries because they feel strangers in their own.
Can I just ask, is this game coming to Wiware for the EU? I’ve played through the Demo over and over but I want more I want the Wiiware version please 2DBoy give it to us needy EU kids who want World of Goo (WoG)