The heirs of the Turkish Cypriot owners of land that the Andreas Papandreou military airbase in Paphos, as well as plots refugee housing has been built on, have reportedly laid claim to their property.
As reported by Greek daily Phileleftheros on Friday, the land is currently worth millions of euro and there is a possibility both local and overseas courts will be asked to weigh in on the matter.
However, the Republic is, according to the paper, expected to argue that Turkish Cypriots given control of Greek Cypriot property in the north during the time when Rauf Denktash’s was at the helm lost their right to claim property in the south–pending an eventual solution to the Cyprus problem– because Denktash awarded them property of an equal value in the north.
Given the fact that it is likely the Turkish Cypriot owner of the land was given control of Greek Cypriot land of equal value in the north, it is unlikely the Republic be made to pay out significant compensation to his heirs, the paper said. It is likely that some kind of financial agreement will be hammered out, however, Phileleftheros added.
The paper noted that a source within the Land Registry Department had revealed that the cost to the Republic of Cyprus would have been even less in comparison to the compensation reportedly sought by the heirs if it had undertaken the proper expropriation procedures when deciding to make use of the land.
According to Phileleftheros, the land used for the airbase and the refugee housing in Timi and Kouklia belonged to a Turkish Cypriot man from Episkopi who lived in the village until 1974. His children, the heirs now claiming the land, emigrated to the US in 1963 and are now US citizens.
Phileleftheros and Cyprus Weekly