The Presidency stated “The Maraş initiative is aimed at protecting and establishing rights. It is out of the question that Maraş, which is in TRNC territory, will be transferred to another administration by any decision. Maraş needs to be free from the Cyprus problem and made a part of TRNC life.”
In the statement made by the Presidency, it was stated that with the decision taken by the Council of Ministers in 2019, the first policy regarding the Maraş opening was determined and the studies were started. It was also stated that with the opening of some public areas to visitors last October, psychological propaganda material was also published by the Greek Cypriot side.
The statement, which was shared with the public, continued that for all relevant parties the rights of the property holders would be preserved as a basic principle within the framework of these studies.
After the public areas opened within the framework of the policy determined in this direction, a part of the closed Maraş, one of the most beautiful places in Gazimağusa region, was granted the status of a civil zone with the decision of the Council of Ministers, and the first step was taken to bring the region to life.
It was noted that the most important feature of these applications was that the former residents declared their will to reach their rights regarding their immovable properties.
With this decision, it was stated that the Immovable Property Commission, which is recognised as an effective domestic law mechanism by the European Court of Human Rights, can make decisions covering all three remedies, namely; return, compensation and exchange, for the applicants regarding the newly opened region.
Emphasising that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has no concern regarding anyone and its law, on the contrary, as can be seen in the Maraş opening, a policy has been established to give these rights to the beneficiaries who have been waiting for all these years. “Those who oppose our initiative to establish rights through an internationally recognised mechanism, all other parties, especially the Greek Cypriot leadership, should know that asking for our initiative decision to be reversed is equivalent to opposing the former residents’ access to their rights. It is clear that this simply means the preservation of the status quo.”
Source: TRNC Public Information Office
