Çeler: Property Issue Cannot Be Placed on the Shoulders of Individuals

In a written statement, Çeler said people living in Northern Cyprus have built their lives over many years within the existing de facto conditions, the local legal framework and the natural course of daily life.

He argued that ignoring this reality and treating people as potential criminals is neither fair nor sustainable, adding, "The property issue cannot be placed on the shoulders of individuals."

Çeler recalled that the European Court of Human Rights' Demopoulos judgment established that domestic legal mechanisms such as the Immovable Property Commission should be taken into account. Despite this, he said addressing the property issue through criminal law instruments such as European Arrest Warrants would not produce a solution.

He stressed that the property issue cannot be resolved through individual court cases, extradition proceedings or the threat of criminal sanctions. Instead, he said it requires a comprehensive political settlement that addresses compensation, exchange, restitution and usage rights while safeguarding the rights and security of both communities.

Çeler also called on the government to closely monitor recent developments, warning that new legal risks could emerge, particularly for those involved in the property, construction, tourism, investment and international trade sectors.

"This issue cannot be managed through rhetoric," he said, urging the government to immediately establish a crisis task force involving lawyers, international law experts and representatives of the affected sectors. He also stressed the importance of closely monitoring legal developments across Europe and keeping the public informed in a transparent manner, arguing that uncertainty can only be managed through a planned, law-based approach.

Çeler concluded by saying that Turkish Cypriots should not have to bear the cost of the unresolved Cyprus issue through uncertainty, fear and the threat of criminal prosecution, adding that what is needed is not panic but "a law-based, rational and comprehensive commitment to resolving the property issue."