The properties belonging the religious foundation [EVKAF] in the Maraş/Varosha region were illegally transferred to individuals under the British Administration, Director of Religious Foundations Administration Professor İbrahim Benter has said.
Professor Benter, told the public on social media that the British administration illegally transferred the assets of the foundation to individuals with documents in the Marash region under.
Dr. Benter, had told Turkish daily ‘Yeni Sabah’ that after bringing in experts to study all title deeds dated between 1571 and 1974, it emerged that most of Maraş/Varosha belongs to EVKAF since it belongs to three vakifs (religious endowments), the Abdullah Pasha Foundation, the Lala Mustafa Pasha Foundation and a small part to Bilal Aga Foundation.
“We have original British title deeds that show that Maraş area is the property of the EVKAF”, he said on social media
The foundation’s property in Maraş was illegally transferred to individuals under the British Administration.
Elsewhere, however, lawyer Achilleas Demetriades has rejected claims by Benter that the British gave money for restorations only. He said that the former colonial ruler, as part of the independence arrangements, had given the Turkish Cypriot community 1.5 million pound, in complete and final settlement of all of Turkish claims, including those of the EVKAF high council, whose president was Dr Fazil Kutchuk.
The British government had paid half a million pound on August 1, 1960 in a joint account under Kutchuk and the late Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, as part of a 1.5 million pounds settlement which underlined that no claims would be made thereafter by the Turkish Cypriot community. The remaining one million was paid to the Turkish communal chamber, Demetriades told the Cyprus News Agency.
Kibris News Agency, CNA
