He expressed disappointment in the Greek Cypriots’ consistent negative response to Turkish demands and anticipated the report to reflect the lack of common ground. Despite the EU’s acceptance of Greek Cypriots post-Annan Plan, the Turkish side has continued good-faith negotiations for a federation over 20 years.
Hasipoğlu also addressed the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, critiquing the biased Maraş Report by Italian MP Piero Fassino. He emphasised that the report was initiated by the Greek Cypriot Administration and a number of British and Greek MPs. Fassino visited Cyprus twice to investigate the issues, but Hasipoğlu believes the report unfairly focused on the property rights of Greek Cypriots in Maraş (Varosha). He argued that broader issues like guarantees, territory, governance, and EU dimensions should be considered, noting that compliance with past UN plans would have prevented current issues.
Hasipoğlu said, “When you think about the Cyprus issue, there are many issues; there is the guarantee issue, territory, governance, power sharing, the European Union dimension. In all these negotiation processes that you have gone through, Maraş was a place that the Greek side demanded and if they had said yes to all the UN plans before, we would not have a problem called Maraş”.
In the European Parliament, Hasipoğlu accused them of highlighting only the concerns of a small group of Greeks in Maraş and reminded that Turkish Cypriots who supported the Annan Plan in 2004 are still being punished. He asserted that the UN has no authority in Maraş, which is in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and dismissed any transfer of Maraş to the UN.
He also evaluated the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) and recent applications. Hasipoğlu noted that Prime Minister Ünal Üstel established a fund for the IPC, significantly increasing payments. He explained that previously, Greeks had sued Turkey directly through the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), but the ECHR directed them to the IPC in Nicosia. Hasipoğlu stressed the need to resolve these property claims, acknowledging the existence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as a separate state and the importance of eliminating property disputes. Many cases have been settled, with the state compensating previous owners, often without public awareness.
