The Karpas Peninsula

Why do people buy homes in Northern Cyprus? The weather of course - what sun starved, rain-drenched Northern European would not want a home in Cyprus? The problem is that Southern Cyprus (the Greek Cypriot part) is much too expensive now, and so is just about every other Mediterranean resort. Many British people are choosing to live permanently in Northern Cyprus, where the cost of living is lower, and there is a large and well-organised British community.

But it is not just about money - Northern Cyprus has miles of unspoilt sandy beaches washed by the clear warm water of the Eastern Mediterranean. It has crusader castles, ancient monasteries, spectacular mountain scenery, and walled cities where Turkish Cypriots and their friends still sit and drink coffee under an olive tree, as we did before the British arrived on the island more than a hundred years ago. There are first-class restaurants and hotels; there is no terrorism, and very little crime of any kind.

Bellapais Abbey

Many empires have come and gone in our part of the world The Romans, the Lusignans, the Venetians and the Ottomans, as well as the British, and everywhere you go you are reminded of the rich and fascinating history - some of which is still being discovered. Only a few weeks ago a Royal tomb from the Archaic period was discovered near the ruined - but still enchanting- city of Salamis, in whose majestic amphitheatre plays are still performed.

Not far away is the St. Barnabas monastery where the Saint was buried. In Famagusta, Othello’s tower still stands, as a reminder of the Venetian Governor of Cyprus who inspired Shakespeare.

Turkish Cypriots have had plenty of time to get used to the British, and our local legal system, police, and government ministries are based on the institutions which the British established when Cyprus was their colony. People from Britain and other EU countries are well-liked and welcomed in Northern Cyprus, and English is widely spoken.

Kyrenia's Old Harbour

There is no Cypriot language, so people speak either Turkish or English. The pound sterling and the Euro and the international credit cards are as acceptable in Northern Cyprus as local currency - if not more so.

After the British administration left in 1960, there was a period of serious trouble between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. At Christmas 1963 the Greek Cypriots attacked the numerically weaker Turkish Cypriots, who withdrew into defended enclaves, where they were kept, almost under siege conditions, for the next eleven years.

In 1974 the Greek Cypriots, backed by Greece, tried to take over the whole island by force and annex it to Greece. The Turkish Cypriots appealed for help, and Turkey sent its soldiers to the North of the island, where they have kept the peace for more than thirty years. Turkish soldiers were much in evidence in the 1980s but you rarely see them now.

Following the Exchange of Populations Agreement in 1975, the Turkish Cypriots consolidated themselves in the North and the Greek Cypriots in the South - living in each other’s former homes. In 2004 the UN presented a settlement plan to the two peoples of Cyprus, which provided for reinstatement and/or compensation for all those on both sides who had lost their homes. It also provided for the demilitarisation of the island.

The Plan was endorsed by the whole world as fair to both sides, and the Turkish Cypriots accepted it. However, the Greek Cypriots rejected it, and there the matter rests for the time being. Remarkably, having rejected the UN Plan, the Greek Cypriots were taken into the EU in 2004 but Northern Cyprus is still outside the EU for all practical purposes.

Visitors can cross between Northern and Southern Cyprus, and visitors from the EU can enter Northern Cyprus directly without a visa. We have an ultramodern airport in Northern Cyprus, to which you can fly from the UK and other EU countries via Turkey. You do not need to get off the plane in Turkey, but many people like to take a two-centre holiday there, which is only 50 miles from Cyprus. The British Government says it would like to see direct flights to Northern Cyprus, so perhaps this will happen soon.

The economy of Northern Cyprus is based on tourism, agriculture, and university education

Kyrenia

There is an efficient Land Registry in Northern Cyprus, based on the British system, and there are many English speaking law firms. Estate agents too are well established, many of them run by British people in partnership with Turkish Cypriots, and most of them with a web site where you can see details of properties and prices.

There are thriving property developing companies building flats and houses - and as in every country there are good, bad and indifferent - so have a survey done, and get your lawyer to check that they have the necessary planning permission and Building Regulations consent. There are also charming old houses, some of which date from Ottoman times.

The mortgage market in Northern Cyprus is not yet well developed, so most overseas investors raise a mortgage on property in their home country. Most of the property investments are in the residential sector, but there are commercial investments too - usually in cooperation with a Turkish Cypriot partner.

The economy of Northern Cyprus is based on tourism, agriculture, and university education, with some light industry, especially in garment manufacturing.

Your lawyer should investigate the title to the property you are buying

Council tax and stamp duty are low by UK standards, and there is no Capital Gains Tax on the sale of the first property you own in Northern Cyprus. The laws on inheritance are not the same as in England, so you need to ask your lawyer for advice, depending on your own family circumstances.

Your lawyer should of course investigate the title to the property you are buying, as the type of title will affect the value. Your lawyer will also advise you as to the procedures for purchases by foreign nationals.

In Northern Cyprus we have a parliamentary democracy, a free press and judiciary, and we are rapidly bringing our laws and institutions into line with EU norms. We hope to become EU members soon.

On behalf of the Turkish Cypriot people may I say that you will be welcome in Northern Cyprus, and we look forward to seeing you there soon.

Biography

Yonca Senyigit is Representative at the London Office of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Prior to that, after the elections and political changes in North Cyprus in 2003, she worked with the Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat as a private secretary. She took part in the Annan Plan negotiations. Ms Senyigit enjoys volunteer work, especially in women issues. She is trained on different fields like “Empowerment of Women”, “Women in Leadership” and “Civil Societies and NGO Enhancement”.