Memorandum issued to the Office of the Prime Minister on 10 Downing Street, London on the 21st of May, 2007 from the delegates of Municipalities of Lapithos and Karavas.

His Excellency
the Prime Minister of
Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
Mr. Tony Blair

Lefkosia May 21st, 2007

Your Excellency,

We are today communicating with you on behalf of the elected Municipal Councils of the displaced since 1974 Municipal Authorities of Lapithos and Karavas.

Lapithos and Karavas municipalities are found along the narrow coastal plain of Kyrenia District in the north of the island and have been occupied by Turkish troops since August 6th 1974, during a cease fire.

The inhabitants of the two municipalities were forcibly evicted from their homes and properties by the invading troops and nowadays live temporarily, mainly in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus, but also abroad. Many had to emigrate to Great Britain where they joined relatives already living there and to this day are anxiously awaiting the day of return to their ancestral homes where they were born and grew up.

Since her invasion in Cyprus, of July – August 1974, Turkey is forcibly occupying 37% of the territory of our country. Thousands of people died and nearly 1.500 remain missing persons. All the Greek Cypriot inhabitants of the occupied area (nearly 200,000 people), who lived and legally made use of their properties prior to the Turkish invasion, properties for generations were forcibly thrown out of their homes, villages and towns.

We have been living with the above tragic and painful consequences for 33 years, awaiting the lifting of this great injustice against the peaceful people of Cyprus.

During all these years the illegal regime established in the occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey, not only did not show the necessary political will to work for a just and peaceful solution of the Cyprus problem, but goes on with its policy of solidifying the results of the ongoing occupation.

The destruction and desecration of churches, cemeteries and our cultural heritage in the occupied areas is going on unabated.

This regime through the ongoing construction boom on Greek Cypriot properties and the illegal sale of Greek properties to foreigners and mainly to British citizens, tries to create new facts on the ground.

Many British have illegally bought Greek Cypriot properties without the consent of their owners, especially in our two municipalities, according to information in our hands.

On behalf of our two municipalities, which operate temporarily in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus, we call upon you to help put a stop to the desecration of our cultural heritage and the usurpation of our properties in the areas occupied by Turkish troops. We also believe that you can help in the direction of finding a speedy just and viable solution to the problem of Cyprus. The materialization of the agreement of July 8th 2006, and the operation of the Technical Committees, may help bring about a start for substantive talks.

We once more underline our resolve never to abandon our legal rights on our properties, which are occupied. Thus we are bound to continue our struggle using every available legal means, to thwart the usurpation of our properties. We are aware of the new facts the occupation regime is devising against us. Usurpation, although ripe now under the protection of the Turkish troops, could not go on for ever.

Your Excellency,

Great Britain as one of the three guarantor powers of the Republic of Cyprus has an obligation to act decisively towards Turkey, to come forth for substantial negotiations under UN auspices to solve the Cyprus problem.

The Cyprus problem can be solved to the advantage of all Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, on the basis of the resolutions of the United Nations, of International Law and the acquis communautaire.

We the legal inhabitants of the Republic of Cyprus, a member state of the European Union since May 1st 2004, demand a solution reuniting Cyprus and safeguarding the right of the displaced to return to their homes and properties, to their villages and towns under conditions of safety and dignity, without occupation troops and colonists, with safeguards for human rights and the basic freedoms of all Cypriots.

On behalf of the Municipal Councils and the people of Lapithos and Karavas

Athos Eleftheriou            Yiannis Papaioannou
Mayor of Lapithos           Mayor of Karavas