Lawmakers Express Concern Over Property for Sale in Turkish Occupied Cyprus
Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., along with Hellenic Caucus Co-Chairs, U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) issued the following statement today regarding their concern over the sale of a piece of property in the Turkish occupied portion of the Republic of Cyprus.
"Last week’s the New York Times' International Real Estate section featured the article '19th Century Property in Northern Cyprus.' We caution potential property buyers that the northern part of the Republic of Cyprus has remained under Turkish military occupation since the 1974 invasion of the island.
"People who purchase homes in the occupied area may not be the actual owners. Under international law, the rightful owners are the ones who owned the home or land right before the illegal occupation.
"Individuals interested in purchasing this property or any other property in the Turkish occupied portion of the Republic of Cyprus should examine the status of the property through the Lands and Surveys Department of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Cyprus."