This week in North Cyprus > >21th - 28th March 2005
Orams Case hearing adjourned
The controversial 'Orams' case involving a couple from the UK, taken to a South Nicosia court by Meletis Apostilides, the Greek Cypriot, who previously owned the land they purchased in good faith from a local Turkish Cypriot.
The Orams appeal was set to be heard by Judge Elani Efram on Monday 21 st February but was adjourned until Thursday 3 rd March after the court failed to have a key document translated into Greek.
In November 2004, the court ruled that the couple had to demolish their property in Lapta, pay £7000 Cyprus pounds in compensation and a further Cyp £300, for every month they remain in the property.
The ruling is unenforceable in the North and as such been labelled worthless. Mr Apostilides lawyer, Constantin Candounas aims to have the ruling enforced in a British Court . An action made possible by an EU law stating that laws from one EU state can be enforced in another.
The case has been the centre of widespread media attention, and many people believe the entire exercise is an elaborate attempt by the south to intimidate the booming property market in North Cyprus .
Judge Efram is expected to give a date for her verdict at the 3 rd March hearing, this date looks likely to be early May.
European Property Owners group formed
A new group set up to represent the interests of foreign property owners in North Cyprus is being launched this week. The group known as European Property Association of North Cyprus (EUPRO) has been formed with aims of counteracting Greek Cypriot propaganda on property issued in North Cyprus . The founders including Chairperson Shelley White - an US attorney living in the TRNC - have also promised to contest legal action bought about in the UK or other EU countries, like the legal action bought against Linda and David Orams of Lapta (see "Orams case hearing adjourned").
Eupro claims to have been welcomed and supported by various party politicians in the TRNC, and company members have already held meetings with Rauf Denktash the TRNC President, Mehmet Ali Talat the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and other leading political figures.
A Eupro spokesperson said, "This is a chance to stand up and be counted, and we are confident of a strong response". The group is expecting a large number of European property buyers to join and annual membership is £25. The association will begin taking membership applications next week, and a meeting of members will be announced soon.
Re-elected Prime Minister reveals party's plans for future.
The newly re-elected Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat is reported to have said that talks aimed at reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem may begin again as early as May, if Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos can be persuaded to return to the negotiating table. The announcement was made at the same time as the UN secretary-generals political affairs undersecretary Kieran Prendergast revealed plans to lead a UN delegation to the Island in late April, early May with the goal of launching a new initiative on Cyprus .
Prime Minister Talat also revealed a five-year programme would be drawn up to tackle issues such as power, water, health and education. Moves to curb new construction are also being prepared.
On a more personal note, Mehmet Ali Talat said he highly expected his Republican Turkish Party (CTP) to name him as their candidate to contest next months Presidential elections. The CTP would then elect a replacement Prime Minister from the parties other 23 MP's.
KDV reprieve delayed by elections
The amendment to the new KDV (VAT) regulation giving a reprieve to the foreign house buyers that applied for their permission to buy before 01 st January 2005 is expected to take another 3 weeks to take effect, revealed Ahmet Uzun the Finance Minister.
Buyers that sought permission before the January 01 st law change are still being charged the new 15% KDV rate because, according to a Ministry source "there has been no directives from the Minister regarding the 15% to be lowered for the foreign buyers who applied before 01 st January 2005 .
Mr Uzun replied, "The matter can not be resolved by a simple directive and an amendment to the regulation is required. Because of the elections and other factors, we have only just begun work on the regulation and the alterations will be enforced in 20 days time".
Lefko s a lawyer Talat Kursat is advising clients not to conduct business at the land registry now. "They should wait and see what happens and seek the advice of a lawyer."
"One more thing foreign buyers should consider before they make any payment of KDV they should check that it is in their contract." "They should not close their eyes and just pay" Mr Kursat added.
There could be trouble ahead!
A row burst open during last weeks EU-US summit when the South's President Tassos Papadopoulos announced Greek Cypriots were unhappy with Britain over the perception that London is undermining a policy banning direct trade and travel to the TRNC.
The 'love/hate' relationship between South Cyprus and Britain looks set to heading for trouble again.
Mr Papadopoulos's words came as a response to the House of Commons Foreign affairs committee issued a report calling the government to consider allowing direct flights to Ercan, and attacking the South's administration for being "un-European".
Britain is continuing to attempt to boost direct trade and flights with the TRNC, since the Greek Cypriots unanimously voted no in last years April referendum, where TRNC voted in favour of a UN re-unification package.
The British government is trying to meet EU commitment to help Turkish Cypriots, but Greek Cypriots suspect their former colonial masters of being biased towards the Turkish.
A recently released foreign affairs committee report, said of the Greek Cypriot government that they had not "fully taken on board that EU membership of the EU involves obligations as well as opportunities".
The report also recommended that Britain and other EU member states should encourage the south to adopt EU values and methods of working.
Exchange rates as of 28.02.2005 |
£ |
2.45YTL |
$ |
1.29YTL |
Euros |
1.71YTL |
Cyp £ |
2.83YTL |
Weather
This week will be partly cloudy and warm with average daily temperatures between 18°C and 21°C, in the early part of the week dropping to 16°C and 18°C towards the weekend.
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