Properties in the occupied part of Cyprus

We received the following bulletin from the Embassy of Cyprus in Qatar:

It came to our attention that during the month of May, at the Fairmont
Hotel in Dubai, a property show was organized exclusively for
properties in the occupied part of Cyprus. The show was run by a
group of British and Turkish businessmen, actively involved in selling
to foreigners, apartments and properties illegally constructed in land
that predominantly belongs to Greek Cypriot refugees. The same
property show was presented in Abu Dhabi.

It should be stressed that approximately 79% of the privately owned
land in the occupied areas are owned by Greek Cypriots. Following the
Turkish invasion and Turkey’s organized colonization most of these
properties were handed over to Turkish mainland settlers and Turkish
Cypriots. The last two years foreigners were encouraged by false
promises to purchase properties in the occupied part. A number of
Western countries have warned their citizens against such purchases in
traveling advisories, among them the United Kingdom, France, Canada,
Russia and the United States. A number of Greek Cypriot citizens are
also pursuing reparations in the European Court of Human Rights, local
courts or through the issue of European arrest warrants. In two
landmark judgments of the European Court, it was clearly set out that
the Greek Cypriot owners cannot be deemed to have lost the legal title
to their properties as a result of the occupation and will always
remain the only true and lawful owners. This has considerably slowed
down “sales” in Europe and Western countries.

The unscrupulous and corrupt businessmen are now trying to find a new
market, appealing to local Arabs and expatriates in the Gulf region.
The property show in Dubai and Abu Dhabi was only the beginning and we
expect to have more activity in other countries in the region.

Cyprus is not the only country in the world where massive violations
of human rights take place. If we do not all do our outmost to
prevent illegality and human rights violations from taking place, the
perpetrators will be emboldened and further increase the plight of the
victims. It is in this context that we count in your full cooperation
in preventing all illegal transactions on properties belonging to
Greek Cypriot dispossessed owners in the occupied part of the Republic
of Cyprus.


Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus
PO Box 24482
Doha, Qatar
Tel: (974) 4934390/1
Fax: (974) 4933087
E-mail : kyprosdoha@qatar.net.qa