Is Varosha lost forever?
A handful of Greek Cypriot refugees, thought to be from Varosha, are preparing to accept compensation payments from the Turkish Cypriot compensation commission set up in the north rather than wait for restitution of their property, according to Financial Mirror sources, with potentially wideranging implications for any future settlement on the island.
The compensation commission in northern Cyprus was set up as a result of court cases against Turkey.
After a European Court of Human Rights ruling in the case of Arestis v. Turkey in December, the Court called on Turkey to make a remedy available within three months which secured “genuinely effective redress”. Turkey was given another three months for the redress.
This essentially gave Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots time to come up with a property compensation or restitution formula that could meet the ECHR’s demands.
Many Greek Cypriots were displeased with parts of this ruling, some even filing an appeal at the ECHR, since it implied that actions by the Turkish Cypriot property commission and Turkish Cypriot courts could be recognised as being in compliance with ECHR demands.
This was seen as “a political upgrading” of the so-called Turkish republic of northern Cyprus.
But Greek Cypriots also feared what now appears to be coming true: that some Greek Cypriot refugees, given the choice, would rather take the money now than sit it out and hope that one day there will be a solution and they will get their property back.
Will Varosha be lost forever?
However, although the acceptance of compensation by some Greek Cypriots will be a political bombshell domestically when it happens, it is less certain whether this means that Varosha — the one place that was always supposed to come back to Greek Cypriot control — has been lost forever.
As noted by James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Researcher at Kingston University and author of several books on the Cyprus problem, while the chance to gain compensation might be accepted by many Greek Cypriot refugees, there will undoubtedly be many others who will settle for nothing less than the return of their land.
“This will be the real test for the property commission. Until it can do this successfully [return property], it will continue to face legal challenges,” he argues.
Moreover, if every Greek Cypriot refugee opted for compensation, it could get pretty expensive for Turkey (and Turkish Cypriots), even if it offers long-term tradeable bonds rather than cash.
“If many Greek Cypriots accept compensation in Varosha this would mean that the Turkish Cypriot administration would have to find a way to fund reconstruction,” said Ker-Lindsday.
“It might be far better to just hand back the town to the Greek Cypriots than face the double cost of compensation and then redevelopment. In fact, the real question would appear to be how much longer they will be able to hold on to Varosha given current trends.”
As noted by the Financial Mirror in previous weeks, Turkey is understood to be considering a half-way point between the two: putting Varosha under Turkish Cypriot civilian control and inviting Greek Cypriots to come back and live there.
Photo source: www.handsacrossthedivide.org
Fiona Mullen
