"Turkish Cypriots shrug off new blow to property trade
By Simon Bahceli
THE Turkish Cypriot north says it will ignore an amendment in Cyprus law that makes unlawful use of Greek Cypriot properties in the breakaway state punishable by two years imprisonment.
The amendment was unanimously approved by the House of Representatives last Thursday and is likely to constitute another blow for the north�s beleaguered real estate industry.
Under last week�s amendment, �unlawful use� is deemed a serious enough offence to allow for the issue of European arrest warrants against those living in Greek Cypriot properties in the north. Individuals who have warrants issued against them could potentially face arrest in any of the 25 nations of the EU.
Turkish Cypriot �prime minister� Mehmet Ali Talat reacted coolly to parliament�s announcement, accusing Greek Cypriots of �wasting their time� and seeking to deflect attention from the fact that it was they who had rejected a comprehensive settlement of the property issue when they voted �no� in the referendum on the Annan plan last year.
�One of the most important parts of the solution plan they rejected was the property regime. Now, by making parliamentary decisions they are trying to put the issue into a new framework,� Talat said."
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