Frank and Joan's news for 20 December 2008 in Northern Cyprus

Frank and Joan's Adventures in Northern Cyprus

Our adventures in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus continue....

Lots in the newspaper this week about the property issue. This is not really surprising as the two presidents have announced that there next talking point is the property issue.

The paper claims that the EU have dealt a serious blow to the Orams case by getting a renowned legal figure in Europe to suggest that the Orams could lose their home here or have to pay compensation to the original Greek owner. Obviously if this decision is followed by the European Court of Human Rights, this would have a very serous effect on all of us who own property here.

At the same time a British Peer has claimed that people have only themselves to blame for not getting title deeds etc here in Cyprus and a colleague of his suggests that we Brits have left our brains in the left luggage at Stansted.

Now all of this comes at time when the Greek Cypriots are stirring the pot ready for talks. Nobody has ever mentioned all the land in the south owned by Turkish Cypriots and what compensatio

n deals are to be made to them. This is clearly because, according to Greek Cypriots, history started in 1974, absolutely nothing happened prior to that. In the seven years we have been living here we have witnessed all this time and again and it always seems to coincide with some important discussion events. The whole cannot be solved on a piece by piece basis, it has to be politically resolved and that means that both sides require the will and the ability to compromise. This probably means that we will still be a divided island for the next 10 years or more as they have proven time and again that they cannot live together.

One of the worst things that ever happened here was allowing the South to join with EU without an island agreement being signed first.

Still lots of post is getting lost on it's way over here. There are suggestions, unproven of course, that there are Greek Cypriots working in the London sorting offices and blocking the mail. It would appear that official mail from banks etc is getting through but personal mail from families etc is getting lost frequently. Now a British Parliament pressure group is to investigate, it will be interesting to see if the mail improves.

The economic situation is worsening here also. The paper reports that there are an average of 20 homes and businesses per day being repossessed as a result of spiralling debt. Various bodies are asking for government handouts to ease the situation. Don't think that a begging bowl is the solution, maybe an understanding that you can't spend what you have not got would be an advantage.

Just when I was thinking of buying a Sat Nav system, ready for if ever we get to France the Greeks have got upset about the ones imported to the South. Why, because they use the Turkish names for towns and villages here in the North. Maybe the idea of a Sat Nav system is just a hint to Joan for my Christmas present, don't think it worked though. Probably just new slippers again.