Politicians React to Orams Ruling

Politicians in the Greek-and-Turkish Cypriot communities reacted to yesterday's ruling by the UK Court of Appeal, with President Demetris Christofias welcoming the decision that Sussex couple Linda and David Orams would have to destroy the villa they built on Greek-Cypriot owned land in the Turkish-occupied area of Lapithos.

Christofias said the decision is legally important because it is a message on how the EU sees property issues in Cyprus and around Europe. He added that the government will look into the judgement thoroughly and use it accordingly.

Turkish-Cypriot foreign minister Huseyin Ozgurgun said that the 15,000 foreigners living in the Turkish-Cypriot controlled areas were 'determined to struggle' and that the 'TRNC government would take every measures (sic) to protect their rights.'

The Turkish foreign ministry said: "this judgement contradicted the parameters of the negotiation process and the nature of the new partnership to be established, constituting a clear example of the Greek Cypriot Administration’s misuse of its unjustly acquired membership to the European Union."

The statement added: "this judgment...presents a high risk of damaging the settlement aim at a time when the efforts for a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus under the auspices of the UN have intensified and reached a critical stage."

Finally, Turkey said: "the measures to be taken as regards this judgment are being evaluated together with the TRNC authorities."

The UK Court of Appeal has ruled that Linda and David Orams will have to demolish their property in Lapithos in northern Cyprus five years after Greek-Cypriot Meletios Apostolides sued them for building a villa on his usurped land.

The couple spent around 160,000 sterling on the villa and have been ordered to immediately demolish the building, pool and fencing as well as giving back the property to the original owner and paying his legal costs and damages.

The landmark ruling has set a precedent that could affect thousands of other holiday home owners in northern Cyprus, and upholds a ruling by the European Court of Justice supporting the original Nicosia District Court decision in 2005. At the time, the Orams refused to comply with the Nicosia court's decision, saying it was not enforceable in northern Cyprus.