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On 13
June 2006 Channel Five television broadcast a programme in which it
encouraged its viewers in the UK to take the gamble of illegally buying,
developing and selling Greek Cypriot refugees properties in occupied
Cyprus in order to make a huge profit despite the enormous risks involved.
Please
take action to stop Channel Five from promoting the illegal exploitation of
refugees property in occupied Cyprus.
The Republic of Cyprus
laws on this issue are explained here.
Please write your MP who can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm
Follow the link and click on email and you will
be asked for your post code which will find you your MP, then paste the
text of SAMPLE LETTER A, (3956 characters)
into the form. If you want to write a letter longer than 4000 characters
then go to the MP's home website and look
for their home email address.
Please email OfCom, Channel 5 and the Cyprus High Commission with SAMPLE LETTER B.
stephen.carter@ofcom.org.uk, ed.richards@ofcom.org.uk, dutyoffice@five.tv,
ben.frow@five.tv, cyphclondon@dial.pipex.com
Please also send a copy of each letter to action@hec.greece.org
SAMPLE LETTER A (for your MP)
I am writing to you in
order to bring your attention to the Channel 5 television programme
“Property Developing Abroad: Northern Cyprus”, which was broadcast on June
13 from 8pm-9pm, and presented by Gary McCausland in which a Nottingham
couple Carl and Jane bought an abandoned property in occupied Cyprus in
order to turn a profit in ten weeks.
Ninety percent of the land and property in the occupied Cyprus legally
belongs to the Greek Cypriot refugees who were ethnically cleansed by
Turkey (as has been judged by the European Court of Human Rights). The
so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” also known as the “TRNC” or
“Northern Cyprus” has been declared “legally invalid” by UN Security
Council resolutions 541(1983) and 550(1984) and is not recognised by Great
Britain, the EU or by any other country in the world except Turkey the
illegal occupier. These UN resolutions also call on all countries not to
facilitate this illegal entity in any way, and that includes through trade,
tourism or development of property.
Under the Republic of Cyprus law that was passed on 17.3.2005 by the Cyprus
House of Representatives, which amends Article 281 of the Penal Code, “the
crime of illegal occupation, cultivation, distribution or use of immovable
property in the occupied areas carries a prison sentence of up to two years
or/and a fine of up to ₤5000”. This law applies to all immovable properly
in occupied Cyprus weather the original legal owners are Greek or Turkish
Cypriots or foreigners.
Property transfers carried out by the so-called “authorities” of the
Turkish occupation regime in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus
are illegal in Cypriot law and have also been ruled illegal by the European
Court of Human Rights in the verdict of Titina Loizidou vs. Turkey case in
1996. ECHR case law has recently been incorporated into British case law
therefore this is also illegal in UK law.
In the programme the presenter Gary McCausland repeatedly encouraged
viewers to buy, develop and sell property in occupied Cyprus, which he
himself said was "probably Greek Cypriot owned”, in order to make a
profit, despite the fact that he knew that it was illegal to do this in
Cyprus law, which is also enforceable in the British courts. All of the
property that was shown for “sale” in the program was in villages with an
exclusive or predominantly Greek Cypriot population before the Turkish
invasion.
Despite the fact that presenter knew what they were doing was illegal the
presenter persistently encouraged the British couple and viewers to break
Cyprus laws and commit criminal offences including serious fraud by buying,
converting and selling properties in occupied Cyprus that did not legally
belong to them. The stated philosophy of the programme was that buying
property was a gamble and that the risks of breaking Cyprus law were worth
taking because of the huge profits, which could be made, out of the misery
of the Greek Cypriot refugees who were brutally driven out of their homes
by the Turkish army.
As my MP I would like to ask you to bring this matter up in Parliament and
report this crime to the relevant UK authorities including the police and
demand that action is taken against Channel Five which is encouraging the
perpetration of fraud and the theft and exploitation of Greek Cypriot
property. The adverting of Greek Cypriot refugee’s property for sale
without their knowledge or permission (as was being done in this programme)
and encouraging people to commit a crime is illegal and Channel Five cannot
be allowed to get away with this crime. The British government must pass
tough legislation in order to stop British citizens from buying property in
occupied Cyprus as long as the illegal Turkish occupation continues in
order to uphold the property rights of over 200,000 British citizens who
were ethnically cleansed from occupied Cyprus by the Turks and stop their
properly from being illegally developed.
SAMPLE LETTER B (for OfCom)
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you in order to complain in the strongest possible terms
about the Channel 5 programme “Property Developing Abroad: Northern
Cyprus”, broadcast on June 13 from 8pm-9pm, and presented by Gary
McCausland in which a Nottingham couple Carl and Jane bought an abandoned
property in occupied Cyprus in order to turn a profit in ten weeks.
This programme was extremely distressing and offensive to myself and over
200,000 Greek Cypriot refugees who were brutally ethnically cleansed from
the northern part of the Republic of Cyprus in 1974 by the invading Turkish
army and forced to abandon their homes and property which still legally
belongs to them.
Ninety percent of the land and property in the areas of the Republic of
Cyprus which has been illegally occupied by over 40,000 Turkish troops and
over 160,000 illegal Turkish colonists who have been brought to occupied
Cyprus in violation of the Geneva Convention, legally belongs to the
ethnically cleansed Greek Cypriot refugees (as has been judged by the
European Court of Human Rights) and the development, exploitation or use of
their property without their permission is illegal in Cyprus, European and
British law. The sale, lease or transfer of ownership of any property in
occupied Cyprus to anyone except family members of the original
pre-invasion owners by right of inheritance is also illegal.
Property transfers carried out by the so-called “authorities” of the
Turkish occupation regime in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus
are illegal in Cypriot law and have also been ruled illegal by the European
Court of Human Rights in the verdict of Titina Loizidou vs. Turkey case in
1996. ECHR case law has recently been incorporated into British case
law therefore this is also illegal in UK law.
In the programme “Property Developing Abroad: Northern Cyprus”, the
presenter Gary McCausland repeatedly encouraged viewers to buy, develop and
sell property in occupied Cyprus, in order to make a profit, despite the
fact that he knew that it was illegal to do this in Cyprus law, which is
also enforceable in the British courts.
Property that was placed illegally "for sale" in four
predominantly Greek Cypriot towns and villages in the occupied Kyrenia
district was featured in the programme. Three villages, despite the fact
that their original inhabitants were Greek Cypriots alone, were given
Turkish names in an attempt to conceal their identity.
A Greek Cypriot property in the village of “Lapta” which in Greek is called
Lapithos and which originally had 3196 Greek Cypriot inhabitants who made
up its entire population in 1974 (and no Turkish Cypriot inhabitants al
all) was shown for sale, and the British couple featured in the programme
were given a tour around it and told how they could make a profit from
buying it, doing it up and reselling it. After this another Greek Cypriot
property, in upper Lapta (upper Lapithos) was shown to the couple and the
presenter gave them encouragement to buy it so as to turn a profit on the
sale. Then later on, yet another property which this time was located in
the village of “Karaoglanoglu” which is known as Ayios Georgios in Greek
and which was a village with a 75% predominantly Greek Cypriot before it
was one of the first villages to be ethnically cleansed in the brutal
Turkish invasion, was shown for sale and the couple were given tour around
it and tips on how to illegally exploit it.
It was totally morally reprehensible that no one involved in the making of
this programme took it upon himself or herself to find out who these
properties legally belonged to from the Republic of Cyprus land registry
which is the only legal authority on the island sand whose jurisdiction
extends to all of the islands territory. Any simple investigation would
have uncovered that all the property in the villages, which were
exclusively populated by Greek Cypriots belonged to Greek Cypriot refugees
and that they were being sold illegally and without the true owners
knowledge let alone permission.
Eventually Gary McCausland and the couple came to upper Kyrenia where the
Greek Cypriots had originally made up 80% of the population before Turkey
ethnically cleansed them on 20 July 1974, and another property was shown
for “sale”. After the tour of the property the couple expressed concern
that legal action could be taken against them by the Greek Cypriots if they
were to buy the property, which indicates that they knew what they were
doing was illegal.
It was then revealed that the property in upper Kyrenia that they were
discussing and which they eventually decided to buy, despite being apprised
of the legal situation was being sold by, quote, "an English guy who
was still waiting to get the title deeds through", in other words he
didn't have any proof of true ownership nor did the programmes producers
before they decided to make an example of it, and after this was revealed
the presenter Gary McCausland admitted that this property was, quote,
"probably Greek Cypriot owned".
Gary McCausland knew full well that the title and transfer deeds issued by
the occupation regime were illegal and are not recognised by anyone outside
of the occupied areas and he even stated this himself in the programme. He
also believed that the property really belonged to Greek Cypriot refugees
but the programme continued to give encouragement to the coupe despite
this, even though a criminal offence was being committed. No genuine
Republic of Cyprus title deeds were produced to show the couple as proof of
ownership of any of the featured properties and the couple did not ask for
proof of ownership nor did they make any checks with the Cyprus
authorities. On the one count it is illegal to transfer or sell property in
occupied Cyprus, period, and on the other count the property they “bought”
most likely belonged to Greek Cypriots who did not know it was being sold.
This couple had previously said that they had already acquired other
property in occupied Cyprus before this programme was made, but once again,
the identity of the true owners of their property was not checked out nor
were questions asked if it was acquired legally, ie. from family members
who owned it before the Turkish invasion, which is the only way property in
the occupied areas can be transferred in Cyprus law.
It is clear that the property that was bought by the couple on the show
located in upper Kyrenia was not being transferred by family members to
them by right of inheritance through the legal authorities of the Republic
of Cyprus nor was it being put up for sale by its true owner nor did the
producers of the programme see fit to make checks. Instead the programme
continued in its purpose to encourage the illegal exploitation of property,
owned predominantly by Greek Cypriots in occupied Cyprus and the couple
were next seen after having bought this property, with no checks made as to
its legality.
The presenter persistently encouraged viewers to break Cyprus laws and
commit criminal offences including serious fraud by selling properties that
did not legally belong to them, even after he had stated that Cyprus court
judgments are enforceable in the UK.
The couple in the programme used the services of a British builder (who
they said they has used before) who stayed in the occupied areas illegally,
and made substantial structural changes to the Greek Cypriot refugee
properly which the presenter encouraged them to develop. The presenter at
this point referred to the planning authorities in the occupied areas as if
they had legal validity when in fact the have no validity whatsoever. The
structural changes were therefore carried out without planning permission
given by the legal Cypriot authorities and were clearly illegal.
Under the Republic of Cyprus law that was passed on 17.3.2005 by the Cyprus
House of Representatives, which amends Article 281 of the Penal Code, “the
crime of illegal occupation, cultivation, distribution or use of immovable
property in the occupied areas carries a prison sentence of up to two years
or/and a fine of up to ₤5000”. This law applies to all immovable properly
in occupied Cyprus weather the original legal owners are Greek or Turkish
Cypriots or foreigners.
No consideration was given anywhere in the programme to the distress caused
to the Greek Cypriots who were ethnically cleansed nor were the moral
issues discussed about investing and trying to make a profit from the
product of ethnic cleansing and other peoples misery and hurt. Instead of
being neutral the programme repeatedly tried to justify the illegal
development of property in occupied Cyprus.
The presenter claimed that the EU had agreed to give £92,000,000 pounds in
aid to "Northern Cyprus". This is not true in any way. He also
claimed that the EU and UN wanted to end the isolation of “Northern Cyprus”
and this is not true either. The so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus” also known as the “TRNC” or “Northern Cyprus” has been declared
“legally invalid” by UN Security Council resolutions 541(1983) and
550(1984) and is not recognised by Great Britain, the EU or by any other
country in the world except Turkey the illegal occupier. These UN
resolutions also call on all countries not to facilitate this illegal
entity in any way, and that includes through trade, tourism or development
of property.
Aid of 139,000,000 Euros was allocated by the EU for the integration of the
Turkish Cypriots into the economic structures of the Republic of Cyprus and
was not given to the illegal Turkish occupation regime or “North Cyprus” as
the presenter falsely claimed. This aid was to be distributed to Turkish
Cypriots through EU mechanisms under the auspices of the legal government
of the Republic of Cyprus under the condition that it would not be spent on
Greek Cypriot property, and would not used by or facilitate illegal entity
in any way. The aim of the UN and EU is to reunify Cyprus as one single
state, and bring an end to the illegal occupation of 40% of the Republic of
Cyprus territory by 40,000 illegal Turkish troops and 160,000 illegal
Turkish Colonists whose presence has brought about the isolation of the
Turkish Cypriots and prevents the Greek Cypriots from returning to their
homes. The isolation of the Turkish Cypriots can only be ended when the
Turkish troops and colonists leave Cyprus and the Greek Cypriots return to
their homes in the north, and this is not helped by Channel Five
encouraging the illegal development of property in occupied Cyprus.
Gary McCausland described the occupied areas if the Republic of Cyprus as
unspoiled but no mention was made of the 40,000 illegal occupation troops,
the 160,000 illegal Turkish colonists transferred to the occupied areas in
violation of Article 49 of the Geneva Contention or the 500 Greek Orthodox
churches that were systematically looted, desecrated, vandalised,
destroyed, or turned into stables, hotels, casinos, clubs and brothels by
the Turkish occupation regime.
This was not a documentary programme, which was intended make people aware
of the issue of property development in occupied Cyprus from a neutral
stand point, nor was it made in a documentary style. The full facts were
not given to the audience and the programme was blatantly political, one
sided and inaccurate, with 95% of the airtime being devoted to encouraging
people to illegally develop property in occupied Cyprus and to give them
advise on how to perpetrate this crime and make money form it. The
whole issue was treated in the manner of taking a calculated risk.
The program concluded by showing the viewer how the prices of each of the
usurped Greek Cypriot refugee’s properties, which it was advertising for
sale, might have risen if the properties had been bought from their illegal
usurpers and developed. The final message of the show as stated by the
presenter himself was that the risk of being brought to justice for
committing a criminal offence was worth taking because of the profits that
could be gained from illegally exploiting usurped Greek Cypriot property,
and that the feelings of the Greek Cypriot refugees and the laws of
Republic of Cyprus didn’t matter much.
It is possible that the illegal Turkish occupation regime or the government
of Turkey gave the makers of this programme, (either Channel Five or
Granada Television), financial or other incentives in order for it to be
made so as to encourage the usurpation of Greek Cypriot property in
occupied Cyprus and encourage recognition of the illegal Turkish occupation
regime. I demand that OfCom investigate if this is correct.
How did the production team travel to occupied Cyprus. Who paid for the
flights and did they enter occupied Cyprus through the legal points of
entry on the UN buffer zone from the free areas or did they use the illegal
ports and airports in the occupied areas which are built illegally on Greek
Cypriot land and have been declared illegal points of entry by the Cyprus
government.
The map that was displayed during the show labelled the occupied areas of
the Republic of Cyprus as "Northern Cyprus" as if this was a
legitimate state and labelled the illegal airport in the occupied village
of Tymbou, which is built on Greek Cypriot owned land as "Ercan
International Airport". This airport is illegal and has been declared
closed to all traffic and an illegal point of entry by the Cyprus
government. Its use is a violation of air-traffic regulations and the
Chicago Convention and is not recognised as an international airport by any
airline outside of Turkey, and anyone entering Cyprus through this illegal
airport or any other illegal port in the occupied areas is committing a
criminal offence in Cyprus law and liable to a fine or imprisonment. They
are also liable to prosecution for trespass by the legal Greek Cypriot
owners of the land.
The Channel 5 programme “Property Developing Abroad: Northern Cyprus”,
Presented by Gary McCausland not only violates OfComs code of conduct for
broadcasters, in being offensive, politically motivated, biased, one sided,
inaccurate, and morally unjustifiable and reprehensible but it is also encouraging
criminality and therefore I also demand that OfCom find out who the true
owners of the exploited properties (including the land) that were featured
were, and inform the Police and the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus
so that criminal proceedings can be initiated against anyone involved in
the making of this programme.
It is illegal for someone in this country to encourage someone else to
commit a crime and the Channel 5 programme “Property Developing Abroad:
Northern Cyprus” did just that. Therefore I demand that OfCom take the
severest action that is at its disposal against Channel Five, including
revoking its licence to broadcast and also ban the programme from being
sold to any other broadcaster, or distributed by any means.
I hope that OfCom will do the right thing.
Yours faithfully,
cc. Stephen Carter, Chief Executive, OfCom
cc. Ed Richards Chief Operating Officer, OfCom
cc. Ben Frow, Programme Controller Channel Five
cc. Cyprus High Commissioner
ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN
Send protest emails to stephen.carter@ofcom.org.uk, ed.richards@ofcom.org.uk, dutyoffice@five.tv, ben.frow@five.tv
Please email Ben Frow, the
Controller for this programme at:
ben.frow@five.tv
or phone: 020 7421 7118
(+44 2074217118)
Please email Channel 5
duty office at:
dutyoffice@five.tv
or phone 08457 050505
Please contact Channel 5
at:
22 Long Acre
London
WC2E 9LY
Phone 7550 5555
Channel 5 website is: www.channel5.co.uk
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Sir,
It has come to my attention that Channel Five is planning to show a
programme in the series “Property Developing Abroad” Presented by Gary
McCausland in which a “Nottingham couple Carl and Jane buy an abandoned
property in northern Cyprus, hoping to increase its value by £20,000 in 10
weeks” according to TV guides.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the content of this
programme not only violates OfCom’s code of conduct but it is also illegal
as well and being extremely disturbing and offensive to over 200,000 Greek
Cypriot refugees who were brutally ethnically cleansed from the northern
part of Cyprus in 1974 by the invading Turkish army and forced to abandon
their homes and property which still legally belongs to them.
Ninety percent of the land and property in the areas of the Republic of
Cyprus which have been illegally occupied by over 40,000 Turkish troops and
over 160,000 illegal Turkish colonists who have been brought to occupied
Cyprus in violation of the Geneva Convention, legally belongs to the
ethnically cleansed Greek Cypriot refugees (as has been judged by the
European Court of Human Rights) and the development, exploitation or use of
their property without their permission is illegal in Cyprus, European and
British law. The sale, lease or transfer of ownership of any property in
occupied Cyprus to anyone except family members of the original
pre-invasion owners is also illegal.
Over 400,000 Greek Cypriots most of whom are refugees or have relatives who
are refugees reside in the UK today and are prevented from returning to
occupied Cyprus by the Turkish occupation regime.
The programme "Property Developing Abroad: Northern Cyprus" which
was due to be shown on 30th May at 8.00 pm Channel Five and has now been postponed
until 13th June, 8.00pm shows a British couple illegally developing Greek
Cypriot owned property without the consent of its legal owners. This action
violates the laws of the Republic of Cyprus and by example is encouraging
viewers to do the same and thereby commit a criminal offence, which is
punishable with two years imprisonment and a heavy fine. Because of the
severity of the crime European Arrest Warrants can be issued for the arrest
and immediate extradition of the perpetrators and abettors of this crime
residing in any EU member state. Further more under EU law, to which
Britain has signed up to, the sentences of the Cyprus courts can be
enforced in Britain.
The so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” also known as the
“TRNC” or “Northern Cyprus” has been declared “legally invalid” by UN
Security Council resolutions 541(1983) and 550(1984) and is not recognised
by Great Britain or by any other country in the world except Turkey the
illegal occupier. These UN resolutions call on all countries not to
facilitate this illegal entity in any way.
The only legal political entity on the island of Cyprus is the Republic of
Cyprus, which is the legal government and represents all of the people on
the island including both Greek and Turkish Cypriots and whose authority
and jurisdiction extends to all parts of the island including the occupied
areas. Under the laws of the Republic of Cyprus and the EU it is illegal to
enter the island through any ports or airports in the areas illegally
occupied by over 40,000 Turkish troops since 1974.
All points of entry in the occupied areas of Cyprus have been declared
closed by the government of Cyprus and anyone entering through them is
committing a criminal offence, which is punishable by the Cyprus and EU
courts. Since the illegal Erkan airport in occupied Cyprus is built
illegally on land belonging to over 200 ethnically cleansed Greek Cypriots
from the village of Tymbou anyone entering Cyprus through this airport is
liable to arrest in any EU member state and can be sentenced to two years
imprisonment. Any encouragement by Channel Five to travel to occupied
Cyprus illegally, through any ports except those of the free areas and via
the UN controlled crossing points, is also illegal.
If Channel Five shows the episode of the programme in question it will be
abetting an international crime therefore I demand that Channel Five does
not transmit the programme "Property Developing Abroad: Northern
Cyprus" at any time and that it does not attempt to sell the same
programme to any other broadcasters either in the UK, EU, or anywhere else
in the world. I also demand that the personal details of the Nottingham
couple who have illegally exploited this Greek Cypriot owned property,
including information about how they acquired possession of this property
and how they have exploited it, are conveyed to the authorities of the
Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus High Commission in the UK who will take
further action.
I hope to receive a positive response from you otherwise I will initiate
further action against Channel Five.
Yours faithfully,
cc. Stephen Carter, Chief
Executive, OfCom
cc. Ed Richards Chief Operating Officer, OfCom
cc. Ben Frow, Programme Controller Channel Five
THANKS
We would like to acknowledge with thanks and relief the prudent decision of
Norwich Union to remove sponsorship from the Property Developing Abroad on
Channel 5.
nuceo@norwich-union.co.uk, tanya.veingard@norwich-union-life.co.uk
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