Ersin Tatar described the "hostile policy" of the Greek Cypriot leadership every time the Turkish Cypriots "take steps towards development" as "terrorist actions", saying that there will be retaliation.
As reported by the occupied territories, in a written statement, the Turkish Cypriot leader claimed that "these attacks have clearly turned into terrorist acts, as they clearly do not recognize international law."
The use of property by the Greek Cypriot leadership as a tool of pressure, he said, reminds them of the "bitter experiences" after 1963. "The Greek Cypriot administration's attempt to oppress the Turkish Cypriot people, using the property issue, is an example of the mentality of that period that is reflected today. Ignoring the decisions of the ECHR and bringing property back to the agenda with criminal cases and arrests, as in the period after 1963, it aims at the economic exhaustion of the Turkish Cypriot people and at their legal and political weakening," he claimed.
The organized attacks aimed at crushing the will of the Turkish Cypriot “people,” he continued, are taking place before the eyes of the international community. “The violation of the decisions of the ECHR, the contempt of the legal remedies offered by the immovable property committee and the attempt to usurp the rights of our people are not only an attack on the Turkish Cypriot people, but also a violation of international law. The silence of the international community in this process harms the principle of the rule of law and weakens the search for justice,” he further argued.
According to Mr. Tatar, the Turkish Cypriot “people” have been struggling for years to stand on their own feet, become economically stronger and take the place they deserve on the international stage. “However, every time we take steps towards development, every time our sectors become visible on the international stage, the Greek Cypriot leadership targets our people with systematic and organized attacks. These attacks have exceeded the limits of economic pressure or political movements and have become openly terrorist acts, as they do not recognize international law,” he claimed.
This "dark mentality", he said, began to manifest itself even more clearly immediately after the Annan Plan, claiming that the international community ignored the will of the Turkish Cypriots, did not keep its promises, and the "unjust, illegal, oppressive isolation" continues to this day.
This repressive policy, he claimed, is an extension of a perception familiar to Turkish Cypriots, "namely the mentality that usurped the administration of the Cyprus Cooperative Republic by force of arms in 1960."
At that time, he argued, the Turkish Cypriots were economically besieged and subjected to severe property confiscations, while tens of thousands were forcibly evicted from their properties, villages were evacuated and imprisoned in ghettos. "While these planned actions, which continued until 1974, took place before the eyes of the international community, the 'protectors of rights and law' did not lift a finger."
"Real Estate Committee"
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since XNUMX and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from XNUMX-XNUMX. In XNUMX–XNUMX she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Mr. Tatar further argued that the “real estate committee”, which was established in 2005, is a legal and effective mechanism that can be applied to resolve property disputes, offering three basic solutions: compensation, exchange and restoration.
The ECtHR, he continued, had confirmed in its decision in the Dimopoulos case in 2010 that the “committee” is an effective domestic remedy and (the ECtHR) had emphasized in the decision that not only the owners of properties from 1974 have rights, but also those who have been using them for many years. “This decision constitutes an approach that upholds justice and equality in resolving property disputes.”
However, he continued, despite the binding decisions of the ECHR, the Greek Cypriot leadership ignores the legal remedies provided by the “committee” and turns the property issue into domestic legislation, ignoring the path indicated by international law. “The Greek Cypriot administration uses its own domestic legal system not to dispense justice, but to usurp the rights of our people and to oppress the Turkish Cypriot people. This stance constitutes a clear violation of international law and a policy of aggression pursued under the auspices of the Greek Cypriot leadership,” he claimed.
Referring to what was heard within the Turkish Cypriot community on the issue, Ersin Tatar said that the rhetoric that ignores the "illegal attacks of the Greek Cypriot administration and criticizes those who defend the rights of our people and, above all, the state and its sovereignty is characteristic."
Approaches that see a return to the negotiating table as the only option and target those who defend the inherent rights and will of the Turkish Cypriot "people" serve those who violate the property rights of Turkish Cypriots, he argued.
According to Ersin Tatar, "in this process, covering up the illegal stance of the Greek Cypriot administration and targeting the struggle of the Turkish Cypriot people will have no effect other than harming our people. This stance, which is motivated by the psychology of guilt instead of a common struggle, is unacceptable."
They evaluate developments
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The situation, he continued, is being assessed with the relevant bodies and "we will not leave what has been done unanswered. While we fight for the demands of international law, we will continue to protect our people in every way. We will never remain silent against the undermining of our people's economic development efforts, the usurpation of property rights and the disregard for international law. Our initiatives continue on the international stage, including at foreign embassies on the island."
They will continue, he said, the struggle against the "illegal, oppressive and intimidating policies of the Greek Cypriot administration. The will of the Turkish Cypriot people is not for sale. We will never allow our rights to be violated. We will continue to defend our sovereignty, property rights and economic interests on every platform without hesitation," he concluded.
Source: KYPE
