General Manager of Evkaf, İbrahim Benter, announced that he appreciated the decision of the Immovable Property Commission (TMK) that allowed the Cyprus Foundations Administration (Evkaf) to become a party to the lawsuit regarding an immovable property in the Maraş region.
Benter evaluated the relevant decision as an important step in protecting the historical property rights of the Turkish Cypriot People.
According to the written statement made by Evkaf, with the lawsuit brought to the TMK by a Greek Cypriot plaintiff, Evkaf participated in a lawsuit as an interested party for the first time.
Referring to the statement made by the TMK on Friday, January 28, Benter said, "We appreciate this important and reasonable decision made by the Immovable Property Commission, which recognizes the interest of the foundations in this case and allowed us to be a party to the case. We consider this decision as an important step in protecting our historic property rights.”
Noting that the TMK, which was established in accordance with the provisions of the European Court of Human Rights, was established to evaluate the property demands of the Greek Cypriots who had land in Northern Cyprus before July 1974, Benter said, “In 2020, Evkaf, on behalf of the Abdullah Pasha Foundation, whose administration it undertakes, to become a party to the lawsuit numbered 1732/2011. had applied to. But the Greek Cypriot plaintiff objected to the Evkaf's being a party to the case and a legal dispute arose. After hearing the arguments for and against, the TMK accepted the application, believing that Evkaf had legitimate reasons to participate in this case.
Stating that with the TMK decision on Friday, it was the first time that a dispute was required for Evkaf to join a lawsuit regarding the property claim of Greek Cypriots in Northern Cyprus, Benter noted that Evkaf participated in previous cases at the TMK, an internationally recognized institution, with the consent of the plaintiffs.
Benter used the following statements in his statement:
“Evkaf argues that 100% of the lands in Varosha are the legal owners and that when Cyprus was under British colonial rule (1878-1960), its assets were unlawfully transferred to individuals and institutions and organizations. According to the laws governing the Foundation and international agreements to which the UK is a signatory, the assets of the Foundation cannot be sold or transferred”.
Noting that Evkaf is a charity and one of the oldest institutions in Cyprus, Benter gave the following information about Evkaf:
“Sultan II. It was established in 1571 by order of Selim I to manage donations made by Muslims and works for the benefit of all Cypriot citizens regardless of ethnicity, religion, language or gender.
Traditionally, Muslims in Cyprus leave their land or money to the Evkaf or a foundation as a legacy and ask the Evkaf to administer it on their behalf. One of these foundations is the Abdullah Pasha Foundation. There were many charitable works such as the rental income of the Maraş properties of the foundation and the salaries of local teachers, the school and clothing expenses of children, health services, aid to widows and orphans, dowry for poor young girls, maintenance and repair of mosques.
Emphasizing that Evkaf, which celebrates its 450th anniversary, continues to carry on charitable work and goodness, which are among the important Turkish and Muslim traditions, Benter said that the institution, headquartered in Nicosia, manages more than 2200 foundations, and its income is used to help all kinds of people in Cyprus. He told me he used it. “It helps in many areas such as education, health, helping the poor, protecting the environment, animal welfare, preserving religious buildings and cemeteries of people of all faiths,” Benter said.