Reports Of Return Of Land To Greek Cypriots Overshadow Cyprus Peace Talks

Statements by a UN official regarding property rights have been interpreted by Greek Cypriot media as indicating the possible return to the Greek Cypriot community of land that is currently under the ownership of Turkish Cypriots, putting a damper on the ongoing peace talks over the unification of Cyprus.

UN Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide, who is acting as a mediator in the peace talks between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots over the unification of the ethnically divided island, told reporters recently that both sides had agreed that individual property rights prior to the island's division will be respected, following a meeting between Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades on Thursday.

Following Eide's statements, local media in Greek Cyprus reported that the 155,000 hectares of land that were taken from Greek Cypriots during the 1974 Turkish military intervention will be returned to the original Greek Cypriot owners.

Speaking to the Hürriyet daily on Friday, Barış Burcu -- the spokesperson of the Turkish Cypriot president and one of the attendees of the peace talks -- underlined that the return of the 155,000 hectares of land to Greek Cypriots will not be subject to negotiation because both leaders acknowledge that the current owners, most of whom are Turkish Cypriots, can stake a claim over the disputed land just as much as the previous Greek Cypriot owners.

“What was important and a novelty for us [Turkish Cypriots] was the fact that [the Greek Cypriot delegation] acknowledged that the current owners can claim rights [over the disputed land] just as much as the [Greek Cypriot] owners,” said Burcu.

One of the most contentious issues between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots on the island is Greek Cypriots' rights to their pre-1974 property. Both sides are trying to overcome the disagreement by discussing solutions such as the return of land, exchanges of property and compensation.

The fate of the 45,000 hectares of land currently occupied by Greek Cypriots that belonged to the Turkish Cypriot community before 1974 is also being discussed during the negotiations. Currently, Turkish Cypriots occupy a third of Cyprus, while Greek Cypriots control two-thirds of the island.

Cyprus was split in 1974 following a Turkish intervention triggered by a Greek-inspired coup. Talks on the island resumed in May following moderate left-wing politician Akıncı's election as president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) in April.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)