Antonis Loizou really takes the biscuit this time! (‘Panicking over misinformation?’, Sunday Mail, July 12)
He acknowledges that all the publicity about the title deeds scandal has been beneficial in getting the government’s attention because the publicity exerts pressure on them to act but then says, ‘Of course there are problems, but the situation is not as bad as it is being projected’.
Then he contradicts himself about the benefits by rather patronisingly asserting that those exerting the pressure (obviously not him) have got all their facts wrong but the poor dears ‘are not to be blamed’. Blamed for what exactly?
His article then rambles on through a sneering condemnation of unnamed ‘legal brains’ (his phrase), unnamed pressure groups in general and a reference to the unnamed pressure groups who demonstrated in Peyia recently and criticised President Christofias for his government’s inaction.
Come on, Mr Loizou, have the guts to say what you mean. You were hinting at the Cyprus Property Action Group and the Cyprus Property Owners Association but seem too afraid to actually say so.
Nevertheless, it did not stop Mr Loizou from then very snidely quoting Interior Minister Sylikiotis from the Greek press thus: ‘I am not absolutely certain whether this pressure group has other targets at heart.’
Did Mr Sylikiotis elaborate? Mr Loizou certainly did not. What dark forces are they referring to? The British in Paphos and the Russians in Limassol declaring UDI and setting up their own independent dominions? Wrecking the Cyprus property market so that British or Russian companies can zoom in on a ‘fire sale’?
No, Sunday Mail readers know exactly what this snide innuendo means: anyone who dares to seek justice for their title deeds problems via means that the government and Mr Loizou find inconvenient, commercially disruptive or politically embarrassing are now being accused of being agents of the Republic of Turkey or the north Cyprus entity!
This will cause outrage among the purchasers of the 120,000 properties (recent Interior Ministry figures) still awaiting their title deeds (an estimated 80,000 bought by Cypriot citizens and the rest by foreigners). By his own partisan words, Mr Loizou becomes part of the problem not its solution.
Such a feeble and ridiculous slur is as ridiculous as accusing Cyprus developers, estate agents, lawyers, government ministers and all the various civil service apparatchiks who collectively have created the ‘title deeds monster’ of also being fifth columnists acting in the best interests of Turkey.
After all, it was they alone who have undermined their own property market. Why should we not believe that they did not have that ulterior motive? Should we not accuse the President and his merry men of all being russkiye acktiv (Russian assets) just because of Mr Christofias’ past orientations? Or equally should we not accuse Mr Loizou as an estate agent and project manager for developers, as well as having close connections with government, of having interests that conflict with being an impartial consultant and commentator in the press? All such slurs are ludicrous and worthy only of contempt.
Mr Loizou demands that those individuals or groups who exert political pressure ‘must operate in a way that local politicians will be prepared to listen to’. Really? He has not understood that it’s the politicians’ obligation (and self-interest) to listen to all messages and to act, even if they don’t like the message, the messenger or the mode of transmission.
They can’t be selectively deaf. If they persistently fail to listen and act (as on the title deeds issue) then the message has to be delivered in stronger ways.
It is they and their fellow travellers who ‘must be careful’. Ultimately, if they refuse to listen and act effectively, they will have only themselves to blame for the consequences. They will be their own worst enemy. Let the thousands of buyers still awaiting their title deeds and now accused of being enemies of the state for daring to demand justice judge the value of Mr Loizou’s ‘independent’ advice to sit quietly and not rock the boat.
Dr Alan Waring,
Larnaca
