Letymbiotis fires back over property arrests

Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis on Saturday fired back at the north’s ‘transport minister’ Erhan Arikli over the latter’s remarks that Greek Cypriots who use Turkish Cypriot-owned property vacated between 1963 and 1974 should be arrested if they set foot in the north.

Arikli’s comments came after a spate of arrests of Turkish Cypriots and others over alleged “misuse” of Greek Cypriot-owned property in the north, but Letymbiotis was keen to stress that the two situations are, in his view, not comparable.

“The law on Turkish Cypriot properties determines the management of Turkish Cypriot properties, while the lawless situation in our country continues [in the north] as a result of the illegal invasion and continued occupation,” he said.

He then cited the Republic of Cyprus’ land registry’s data, which states that 78 per cent of private land in the north was owned by Greek Cypriots in 1964.

However, it has been argued that the land registry’s statistics from 1964 do not paint the full picture of property ownership in Cyprus before 1974.

A study carried out for the Peace Research Institute Oslo (Prio) in 2006 determined that the Turkish Cypriot authorities’ recounting of property ownership had recorded that 63.8 per cent of property in the north had rightfully belonged to Greek Cypriots before Turkey’s invasion.

Arikli had said in a social media post on Friday that arrests should be made in response to the arrests being made in the Republic, adding that the north should act “based on the principle of reciprocity between states.

“We are obliged to take the necessary legal measures for the arrests of these Greek Cypriots in the north or in Turkey,” he added.

He also said that “the illegal behaviour of the Greek Cypriot side towards Turkish and other nationals who have control over Greek Cypriot property in the north has reached an unacceptable point in recent days.

“However, just as there are Greek Cypriots who left property in the north, there are also Turkish Cypriots who left property in the south. Moreover, many of these Turkish Cypriots have not been able to access their property since 1963. Greek Cypriots have been using this Turkish Cypriot property since 1963.”

Arrests have been made in the Republic over the alleged misuse of Greek Cypriot property in the north since the start of the year, with Israeli property developer Simon Mistriel Aykut one of the high-profile arrestees.

He is the founder of the Afik Group, which has carried out various construction projects in Trikomo, many of which are believed to be on Greek Cypriot land.

Later, a 49-year-old German national was arrested after reportedly having spoken about selling property in the north to an off-duty police officer while aboard a flight to Larnaca airport.

Most recently, a 25-year-old Israeli national was released on €92,000 bail after having been accused of “misusing” Greek Cypriot property in the north.

At the same time, there have been known cases of Turkish Cypriot property being misused in the Republic.

It was reported in January that around  16,000 decares of Turkish Cypriot-owned farmland near Polis Chrysochouswas being cultivated without a lease.

In December, the Republic’s Court of Appeal had rejected a suit for damages by the management of the Ktima Mackenzie venue in Larnaca, which was built on Turkish Cypriot land, after the building was demolished.

The building had been demolished after the two Turkish Cypriot owners of the land had filed suits in Larnaca and were awarded compensation.