Yiannis Ioannou
Ersin Tatar can rattle his sabre all he wants, threatening “retaliation” and arrests over Greek Cypriot property claims in the occupied north. The fact remains: individuals like Simon Aykut, who’s now at the center of the row, are heavily involved in profiting from such illegal property exploitation. Just look toward Trikomo and you’ll see plenty of examples.
Tatar’s latest outburst is likely part of his pre-election posturing ahead of the upcoming October “elections” in the north. As a staunch supporter of the two-state solution, he’s using this property issue as political fuel.
if Turkish Cypriots genuinely want equal rights and political parity in a future reunified federal state, they can’t expect interference with the independence of the judiciary.
But let’s not forget that some Turkish Cypriots also lost property in areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. True, they are fewer in number. Still, if we’re serious about maintaining the moral high ground in the face of a half-century of occupation and division, then Greek Cypriots must also avoid exploiting properties that aren’t theirs. For years now, Britons, French, Portuguese, and more recently, Russians, Ukrainians, and Israelis, have been buying and using properties that belong to displaced Greek Cypriots. Some of those nationalities, ironically, know firsthand what it means to lose everything in war.
The property issue has always been one of the most complex and emotionally charged elements of the Cyprus problem. Even if it doesn’t carry the same weight in negotiations as “security and guarantees,” it has a direct, real-life impact on people.
What Tatar is also doing, though, is pressuring both the UN, via envoy María Ángela Holguín, and the Greek Cypriot side to drop prosecutions and release Simon Aykut. But here’s where Tatar misses the point: if Turkish Cypriots genuinely want equal rights and political parity in a future reunified federal state, they can’t expect interference with the independence of the judiciary.
Whether Tatar likes it or not, the Republic of Cyprus continued to function after 1964 and has been a full EU member since 2004, despite the ongoing Turkish occupation. The judiciary, despite its flaws, operates independently. This isn’t Turkey, and it’s certainly not the so-called “TRNC.”
This is also where the Greek Cypriot side has a responsibility: not just to remind Mr. Tatar of how justice works, but to help him understand how it will function in any future shared state, should one ever be agreed upon.
Tatar’s sudden “urgency” over the property issue isn’t just political noise; it’s shaping up to be a defining test for Holguín and her role in restarting Cyprus talks. Cyprus may have a history of chewing up and spitting out UN envoys, but this time the criticism is entirely justified.
And let’s be honest, most Cypriots have a blunt expression for the Aykuts, Russians, Israelis, Ukrainians, Brits, or Germans snapping up refugee property: it’s the equivalent of calling them “looters.”
How Holguín handles Tatar’s property crusade will not only reflect her own diplomatic resilience but may also reveal cracks in the Tatar–Erdogan alliance. Is he still Ankara’s favorite? Or is he already a political relic; he just hasn’t realized it yet?
We’ll find out soon enough.
*This op-ed was translated from its Greek original
