Erhürman Calls for Serious Parliamentary Debate on Property Cases

Criticising President Ersin Tatar’s decision to reject a proposed trilateral meeting, Erhürman expressed disapproval over the refusal to discuss the matter in the presence of UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy Maria Angela Holguín.

Referring to the long history of the lawsuits, some dating back 30 to 40 years, Erhürman cited the landmark Loizidou case. He argued that no counter-lawsuits have been filed and that proper legal defence has not been presented at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), describing this as a deliberate state policy. These lawsuits, he said, have become cases “where law is used as a political tool.”

Erhürman also addressed the origins of the Immovable Property Commission (IPC), stating that the body was established on three key foundations: compliance with ECHR rulings, the Turkish Cypriot people's commitment to a solution, and the principle of bi-zonality, which is explicitly outlined in the preamble to the IPC law.

He claimed the Greek Cypriot side’s political objective in pursuing these lawsuits is to undermine the principle of bi-zonality. To support his point, Erhürman cited critical statements made by Greek Cypriot officials about the IPC at the time of its establishment.

Erhürman said CTP had issued warnings over the past three years regarding the need to regulate the sale of property to foreigners, and that the consequences of failing to heed these warnings are now apparent.

He criticised simplistic rhetoric such as “Let’s open Varosha” or “Let’s close the crossing points” in response to property cases. While acknowledging that lawsuits related to Turkish Cypriot property left in the south could be pursued, he stressed that this is a long-term matter and should be approached with strategies that have the potential to produce results.

While acknowledging the importance of timely compensation payments by the IPC, Erhürman emphasised that the real issue is maintaining a genuine will for a solution. “If we don’t get this on the right track, this issue carries serious risks,” he warned.