TCs oppose GC building on his land

near-one-dönüm plot where his family’s home once stood. Mr Skourides, 78, a self-confessed former Eoka fighter and “patriot”, was not present at the time.

He had applied to the IPC for the return of the property in the Lapta-area village, known to Greek Cypriots as Larnaca tis Lapithou, on October 7, 2011. The commission ruled in his favour on March 13, 2017 — one of only nine cases involving restitution agreed so far — and the land was formally returned on September 19, 2017.

Kozanköy muhtar Hatice Beşiktepeli, who settled in the village from Paphos, told CyprusToday: “The . . . land neighbours a newly built house and also has a dirt road running through it to other properties.

“They put in markers for the construction of a big house that will almost touch the neighbouring house, and it completely takes in the dirt road. This has made the residents angry . . . The house is being built wrongly, and the authorities are to blame. They don’t regulate constructions.”

Mrs Beşiktepeli said last Friday’s protest, which also saw Lapta Municipality officials called in had resulted in the work being stopped because there is no building permit.

“However, we will do everything possible to prevent this house from being built. A smaller house could be built on the land without blocking the road.”

She added that villager’s reactions had been wrongly portrayed as anti-Greek Cypriot. “This is not true. It would have been the same had it been a Turkish person doing this.”

Lapta Mayor Fuat Namsoy confirmed construction had been stopped because of the lack of a permit, but said an application had been made and “procedure is being followed”.

Asked to comment on the villagers’ objections, he said: “This is why a building permit needs to be taken out. Because that involves seeing the road plans, the size of the land in question and the project for building itself. But none of this has happened as yet.”

Mr Skourides, who was born in the family’s old home and remained there until August 14, 1974, was quoted in the Greek Cypriot press as saying a move back could help ease his health problems including asthma.

He said he had been visiting the village “two to three times a week” since the borders opened on April 23, 2003, and had “excellent relations with the Turkish Cypriots there”.

However he was said to have voted against the Annan peace plan in 2004, reportedly saying: “I am in favour of a solution . . . but a fair one.”