Reuniting Cyprus the most effective way to solve property issue, says UK Minister

Leo Docherty, the UK Minister for Europe said that the most effective way to resolve the property issue in Cyprus is reuniting the divided island.

The Minister was responding to a written parliamentary question by the pro-Cypriot London Conservative MP Dr Matthew Offord, who had asked the Foreign Office about its assessment of the implications for its policies “of illegal settlements and confiscation of property in northern Cyprus by Turkish nationals.”

In his response, Docherty described the property issue in the occupied part of Cyprus as “one of the most complex and sensitive subjects in the Cyprus Problem.”

He added that “ultimately, the most effective way to resolve the issues arising from the events of 1974, including property claims, is through the UN-facilitated talks aimed at reuniting Cyprus on the basis of a just and lasting settlement.”

Docherty concluded by asserting that “the UK continues to support the UN-led process and encourage the two sides to return to negotiations.”