Cyprus government to pay €345,000 for illegal use of Turkish Cypriot property

Great news: the Republic of Cyprus will pay compensation of €345,000 to an American citizen of Turkish origin and return his illegally used property in Limassol.

In particular, Orhan Hüseyin Derviş, a representative of the Turkish community, won a case against the Attorney General and the Minister of Interior as guardian of Turkish property. The issue of property is a typically political issue. Unless decisive action is taken at the highest level, it will continue to remain up in the air, and each successive defeat of the "guardian" will eventually resolve it.

During the negotiations in Crans-Montana, significant progress was made on the issue of property. The Secretary-General reported and informed the United Nations Security Council on September 28, 2017, stating, "On property, the parties have reached an agreement in principle on two different property systems, although some unresolved issues remain." It should be noted that no one responsible for this issue has refuted the Secretary-General's statements since that time.

Six years later, however, the President abruptly revives the issue during his June 20 press conference marking his 100th day in office, rejecting the position advanced by Guterres.

As the Republic of Cyprus prepares to pay €345,000 in compensation to Orhan Dervis, we get further proof that the unresolved Cyprus problem continues to evolve, manifesting itself in various forms, such as the Varosha Beach problem and the Trikomba case. This situation extends to legal actions involving Greek Cypriots, the Foreign Minister and the guardian of Turkish Cypriot property, as well as unusual activities such as offering round-trip cruises for passengers between Limassol and Salamis.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that the importance of lower fuel prices to economic development has not been overlooked. The court's decision serves as an additional warning sign that we are headed in the wrong direction, surpassing even Denktash's misguided "vision." As taxpayers bear the burden of compensation, it is important that they question those who promised them the best results to ultimately deliver the worst. The increasing financial burden on citizens will continue as long as we fool ourselves and each other by continually postponing decisions and engaging in futile games against the inexorable flow of time.

On the issue of compensation, the report of the Secretary-General to the members of the United Nations Security Council (covering the period from December 13, 2022 to June 12, 2023) was issued on July 4. The report addresses the two leaders as well as the public.

• "I call on both parties to provide the necessary support and resources to the Technical Committees to ensure that they work effectively and deliver concrete results.
• Bicommunal Technical Committees have the potential to do more. Unfortunately, the Education Technical Committee faces obstacles that need to be addressed.
• Strengthening cooperation in the management of natural and man-made crises and developing concrete proposals for concerted prevention and response is essential.
• I welcome the extension of European Commission funding to Technical Committees and EU support for ongoing projects such as the potential construction of a photovoltaic power plant in the separation zone.
• I call on the two leaders to agree to implement confidence-building measures that are mutually acceptable.
• I encourage both leaders to promote contact and cooperation between the two communities.
• It is important for leaders to foster more inclusive collaboration between the two communities by actively engaging women, minorities, youth, and people with disabilities.
• The two leaders should actively promote contact, cooperation and trade between the two communities, including by improving existing border crossings and opening new ones.
• Consideration should be given to introducing unilateral steps or gestures that can help build trust and are important investments in a mutually agreed settlement.
• The general media environment on the island was not conducive to building trust between the parties, with instances of misinformation undermining the effort.
• An important step forward would be an agreement between the parties to appoint a United Nations special representative who could explore the possibility of finding common ground and facilitate the resumption of negotiations on a long-term settlement in Cyprus."

The Secretary-General emphasizes the need for "urgent action". Only through urgent action will it be possible to break down barriers and engage a special representative. Simply asking for the appointment of a special representative, without addressing the broader issues, does not work. Even if a special representative of the United Nations were appointed today, it would still require the above-mentioned actions, as this is the only way forward. There are no miracle workers.

The United Nations leader therefore calls for an integrated approach for assessment and decision-making, setting the appropriate conditions:

1. We need to move beyond just talking for the sake of talking.
2. Create an environment for meaningful dialog.
3. We need to break the cycle and ensure that this time is truly different.
4. Engage in substantive and productive negotiations that can lead to a comprehensive settlement.
5. Seek the agreement of all stakeholders on the appointment of a United Nations Special Representative.

[This article was first published in the print version of the Sunday edition of Kathimerini and translated from the original Greek]