"Ombudswoman fury at treatment of Turkish Cypriot property enquiries
By Elias Hazou
OMBUDSWOMAN Iliana Nicolaou has lashed the government for giving the runaround to Turkish Cypriots inquiring about the status and value of their land in the free areas.
Nicolaou’s office was alerted to several cases where Turkish Cypriots owning land in the south areas before 1974 wrote to the Guardian of Turkish Cypriot Properties only to receive vague answers and generalities.
One Turkish Cypriot couple owning considerable property contacted the Guardian in May 2004. The couple wanted to know the legal status of their real estate, whether the property had been appropriated, the reason for the appropriation and the estimated amount of a possible compensation.
But with no response forthcoming for six months, the couple instructed their lawyer to write to the Interior Ministry, which acts as the Guardian."
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