Ghost Town Maras/Varosha is being offered to Original Owners

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 16:28

http://dunya.milliyet.com.tr/hayalet-kent-maras-aciliyor/dunya/dunyadetay/26.03.2012/1519867/default.htm







hade Ismet abi,need your views.

redseadance


Joined: 22/09/2010
Posts: 102

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 16:35

Is there an English version to read?

rowlo



Joined: 12/10/2008
Posts: 4796

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 16:37

msg2 , turn on google translate ?

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 16:51

Will it not just open yet another can of worms?



Give it back to it's rightful owners is the good idea but it stops there when the only legal, rightful owners that the South will be able to identify are GC's and they will have all of the deeds and proofs of purchase on hand to show they own it all. Even if a Turkish "rightful owner" could prove that his/her deeds were in fact true and that their property/land had not been sold to another in the rush to leave the area in 74, based on the normal method the GC uses for gaining the upper hand, they would simply say - you live in an occupied area and we do not acknowledge you!



It looks like a good idea, do I also read a slight of hand try from Bay Eroglu to prevent what appears to be Bay Guls' apprent desire to annex the TRNC to Turkey once and for all?



Interesting times.....

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 16:58

waddo

It's not an offer to RoC(if it takes place)The offer is to direct owners.We'll have to wait and see the original owners reaction,if it materialises.



lets see how many'd be able to point out the trick. ;)

canada


Joined: 17/05/2011
Posts: 195

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 18:03

lets hope that all cypriots can have their propertys back in all of cyprus

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 18:15

It's not just Cypriots (either-side) that 'lost' property in Varosha but many foreigners/aliens, the majority of whom would now be dead! Is the intention to release properties to the original owners or to their heirs? Another well thought out TRNC Government idea!!!



Richard

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 19:21

If precious little in Varosha is salvegeable, and judging by photos most of it is, who are the ones to gain ultimately - the wealthy developers who will buy the ruins from private individuals for a pittance?



Does anyone know whether claims against the IPC include Varosha?



To rebuild the city seems a huge undertaking - will Bruxelles be prepared to fund such a project?

yenibob


Joined: 13/10/2010
Posts: 1203

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 19:30

It's not a city and never was. It is a very long row of beach front Hotels. Very 70's and almost certainly beyond salvage.



The original owners have probably set up new establishments in Protaras or Agia Napa and will not have the means or the desire to start from scratch at Maras.



It has far more political meaning than commercial potential (with tourism to the whole Island in the toilet).

Cobbler


Joined: 15/11/2009
Posts: 61

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 20:17

Yenibob it was the commercial centre of the east of Cyprus many years before the hotels were built. 45,000 Greeks used to live there. Check it out on Google earth.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famagusta

yenibob


Joined: 13/10/2010
Posts: 1203

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 20:21

We are not talking about Magusa, but Maras (as it is today).

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 20:24

Tenakoutou the IPC can and does currently settle claims re property in Varosha. What it is unable to do with such property is offer resititution prior to a general settlement, it can only offer compensation or alternate property along with a settlement for loss of use.

greylag


Joined: 08/04/2009
Posts: 1110

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 20:25

Read Todays Zaman.

greylag


Joined: 08/04/2009
Posts: 1110

Message Posted:
26/03/2012 20:33

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-275459-turkey-dismisses-report-of-opening-varosha-to--greek-cypriots.html

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 00:23

cyprus mail readers comments add points of interesting reading and views of the man in the south + a few of the north

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/turkish-cypriot-side-tight-lipped-reported-varosha-opening/20120326

timaloy


Joined: 30/06/2011
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 01:07

great news if it comes off,the world views this area as turkish aggression,rightly or wrongly,the greeks are blamed for stalling/renogotiating the "talks",but this city is there for the world to see,and its not the greeks fencing it off,i believe if turkey handed these areas back and made bullish headway to the property probs,the eu and rest of world would soon tire of greek propoganda.

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 06:20

timaloy

providing it materialises,it'll be under trnc's control. ;)

pollymarples


Joined: 08/08/2010
Posts: 1778

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 07:15

Well, the newspapers seem to be in dispute on this one. It will be interesting to see who has the correct story. Yeniduzen also say it is incorrect, but when you read the crap they printed about Pauline Read (mistress) and Chris (lover) you have to wonder if they ever check their stories.



As with all things, time will tell.

canada


Joined: 17/05/2011
Posts: 195

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 07:59

at the end it probably will be under control of the UN just like pyla

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 08:10

What a good idea Of course TR will have to pay compensation to the owners for damage loss of usage etc

But by being in the TRNC it will the construction and the rest of the economy a boost and keep the compensation money and jobs in the TRNC(no work permits for foreigners)

The Masonite community live untroubled and even drive their roc registered cars they the Maronites are having a village fete the first since 1974 so why cant GC's live in the TRNC in their enclave ?

The roc government will veto it as usual as the TRNC president was quoted last week as saying" the roc would not be happy if they had the whole island"

But the former residents would be foolish to turn down the offer as they would be turning down any rights to a future claim

yenibob


Joined: 13/10/2010
Posts: 1203

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 08:19

"But the former residents would be foolish to turn down the offer as they would be turning down any rights to a future claim"



Seriously wanderer?



Under international law they will have no further claims if this initiative is turned down?

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 08:26

Yorg, I did not mean to give it back to the RoC at all but to the rightful owners. The point I tried to make was that the world only see's the RoC as the rightful owners of any part of Cyprus. This can only be because they (RoC) are so much better at publicity than either TRNC or TR and I would hazard a guess that only the RoC held documentation on property would be seen as legal. The RoC have had 40 years to ensure that all documentation needed to prove ownership of anywhere in Cyprus proves that no Turkish or Turkish Cypriot owns anything here.



I like the idea of it going back to the original rightful owners but once you involve the lawyers it will take years and billions to sort it all out.

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 08:56

I think they are testing the water. It will be a very shrewd move if they allow GCs to come back under the control of TRNC. Many will not take up the offer and it will create too much problem for ROC government. I hope it comes true.

ismet

Cobbler


Joined: 15/11/2009
Posts: 61

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 11:46

I doubt any Greek would spend his money restoring his property there. The risk of being thrown out again after the town was rebuilt would be too great. The Greeks are wise to all the property scams on the island, it won't happen unless the town is given back unconditionally.

bigOz


Joined: 29/09/2010
Posts: 1244

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 14:45

Best to see the facts;

Greek hoteliers see Maraş as a threat to their long suffering tourism trade. There is no demand/need for another 20-30 big hotels in an economy where the current ones are struggling.

The hotels will have to be almost re-constracted. They need a fortune to do so. Based on my first point above I do not see investors rushing to buy them.

The legal owners of the whole area has been claimed to be Vakıf property, for which, deeds were later issued by the Failed R.O.C. Government to encourage investment for tourism (to GCs and other foreign investors). apparently, Ottoman records show the area as Vakıf property.

By asking owners to come up with proof of ownership, TRNC authorities are doing well - because most deeds will probably show as being issued after the 1963 war by the GC administration. That would strengthen the Turkish claim of ownership and cast doubts on the "rightful owners". Will any GC or foreign investor provide such a document? Of cour

timaloy


Joined: 30/06/2011
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 20:52

msg 17 thats what i said,turkey telling trnc they are in control

greylag


Joined: 08/04/2009
Posts: 1110

Message Posted:
27/03/2012 21:17

The place would be an absolute gold mine.