The TRNC Parliament approved a draft bill on Monday which extends the Immovable Property Commission’s (IPC) period of operation for another two years.
Greek Cypriot owners of property in the TRNC will now have another 24 months to apply to the IPC for remedies concerning their former properties.
The remedies on offer supposedly include restitution (return) of the property, exchange of property with Turkish Cypriot-owned property in the south and compensation for loss of use.
Speaking in parliament on Monday, the President of the Committee for Legal and Foreign Affairs Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu pointed out that there were currently 6,629 applications at the IPC, 1,203 of which had been finalised.
He said that the remaining 5,232 cases were still pending at the commission.
Hasipoğlu added that there were some cases which have been pending examination for six years and that there are 280 applications concerning property located within the fenced-off city of Maraş.
Hasipoğlu pointed out that there was an intention to improve the IPC but that the Greek Cypriot side continued its guardianship regime regarding Turkish Cypriot-owned properties in the south.
“They are also introducing obstacles to the Direct Trade Regulation and freedom of travel,” he added.
Hasipoğlu said despite the fact that the TRNC was not recognised internationally, international law and human rights were trying to be implemented in the country.
BRT
