Cyprus Cracks Down on Illegal Property Sales in the North

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus is not backing down from its legal efforts against realtors and developers who illegally profit from Greek Cypriot properties in the breakaway north. Four such cases are currently being adjudicated, involving a Ukrainian man, a German national, and two Israelis, including real estate developer Simon Aykut. The defendants are facing charges that include illegally advertising the sale of Greek Cypriot property, illegal possession and use of such property, and conspiracy. All four remain in custody.nnThe properties in question are located in areas along Cyprus’ northern and eastern coastlines near the towns of Kyrenia and Famagusta, in villages like Akanthou and Ayios Amvrosios (Tatlisu and Esentepe in Turkish, respectively). These areas are popular with foreign buyers due to their idyllic surroundings.nnProperty rights are a deeply contentious issue in Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded following an Athens junta-backed coup aiming to unite the island with Greece. Approximately 160,000 Greek Cypriots fled the north, where Turkish Cypriots declared independence, a status recognized only by Turkey. Conversely, around 45,000 Turkish Cypriots moved from the south, where the internationally recognized government is seated, to the north.nnProperty disputes have been a core issue in decades of failed United Nations-mediated peace talks. The EU’s top court and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) have affirmed the Greek Cypriots’ rights to property ownership in the north. However, the ECHR has also supported the establishment of a Turkish Cypriot property commission, where Greek Cypriots can apply for compensation or to reclaim their property.nnA recent boom in the construction of luxury villas and apartments in the north has prompted Cypriot legal authorities to take a more assertive stance against realtors and developers. According to a lawyer familiar with the pending cases, the scale of illegal property development has grown significantly. “It’s not just a few homes being built on Greek Cypriot property; we’re now seeing entire complexes being constructed,” the lawyer told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.nnLast week, a Cypriot court sentenced two Hungarian women to 30 months and 15 months in jail, respectively, for advertising the sale of Greek Cypriot property in the north online. The court stated, “The exploitation of property that belongs to displaced Cypriots for financial gain is, from any perspective, unacceptable and condemnable.” The court also warned that such exploitation could complicate future peace talks by complicating the property issue.nnGreek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides emphasized that the prosecutions send a clear message. “The right to property is an individual matter, and the owner of the property is the one who should decide what to do with it, nothing more,” he said. However, the court cases have sparked a backlash from Turkish Cypriot leaders, who view the prosecutions as a hostile attempt to undermine their economic development.nnTurkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar called the prosecutions a “terrorist act” against Turkish Cypriots, aiming to “weaken them legally and politically” and harm their economic prospects. He warned that the court actions “won't go unanswered.”nnThe ongoing legal battles highlight the complex and sensitive nature of property rights in the divided island, with both sides vying to protect their interests and the potential for these disputes to impact future peace negotiations.