Everyone must be entitled to go home

Sir,

As a solicitor involved in Human Rights matters, the decision of the Supreme Court to confirm the entitlement of Arif Mustafa to the return of his property owned pre 1974 is absolutely correct.

It addresses the real issue of the Cyprus problem – ignored by the governments of Turkey, Britain, the US, and, arguably, even Cyprus and Greece – which is that all property in the Republic must be returned to its rightful owner as at July 1974. Everyone must be entitled to “go home”.

However, enforcement of the ruling should be suspended and the government released from any formal (as opposed to any voluntary) obligation to comply with it until such time that the government is placed in a position to exercise control over the full extent of its sovereign area, whereupon it will be able to ensure the same rights for others (whatever nationality) as it can ensure for Arif Mustafa.

Chris Christofi, London

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