Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Monday, October 7, said his “long-term goal” is to demolish some buildings in Varosha and rebuild them to boost the northern economy.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, he said that he had already achieved his "first goal", namely opening some areas of Varosha to the public to allow visitors to enter there.
“It is a fact that the discovery of Varosha made a significant direct and indirect contribution to our economy. I hope that in the upcoming process the issues will be resolved through the Real Estate Commission,” he said.
He elaborated on his claim that the foundation administration (Evkaf) is the legal owner of most of the land in Varosha, emphasizing that the land was "transferred to the foundation in 1571" after the successful Siege of Famagusta, when the Ottoman Empire retook the city from the Venetian republics.
He then stated that the British "contrary to the agreement made in 1878 [when the island was leased to the British Empire by the Ottoman Empire], transferred the main properties in Varosha to the Greek Cypriots."
The Greek Cypriot side has long disputed this claim, claiming that the British government provided £1.5 million to the Turkish Cypriot community in 1960 for the full and final settlement of Turkish Cypriot property claims, including Eukathos' claims regarding Varosha.
£1.5 million in 1960 would have been worth approximately £43.3 million, or about €51.6 million in today's money.
Source: cyprus-mail.com
