Talat fury as refugee takes property case to UK

By Philippos Stylianou

TURKISH Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat is reportedly furious at the prospect of British and other EU nationals facng legal action in their own countries for buying Greek Cypriot refugee property in the occupied areas.

But it emerges he had been directly warned about this and remained unimpressed.

Greek Cypriot lawyer Constantinos Kandounas, who is determined to have a Nicosia court decision enforced through the British High Court against a middle-aged English couple for building on such property in Lapithos, near Kyrenia, met Talat face to face in September and pleaded with him to put a stop to the mass sale of Greek Cypriot houses and land.

"I saw Talat in July and September and on the second occasion I told him he could not talk of peace and at the same time allow our properties to be sold out," Kandounas, a rapprochement activist told the Cyprus Weekly at his law office in old Nicosia, and added:

"I told him he must do something to put a stop to this, otherwise there would be nothing left for the Greek Cypriots to return to; I also said that we could not just sit around and see our properties disappear, and I specifically told him that I was going to launch law suits against foreigners who ‘bought’ our properties. Talat said to me: ‘Do what you like.’ "

Candounas, himself a refugee from Famagusta, did just that and two months later he landed the first ever court decision ordering foreign EU nationals out of usurped Greek Cypriot property in the North, in this case an orchard in Lapithos belonging to CTO architect Meletis Apostolides, on which David and Linda Orams from Hove, Sussex, had built a luxury villa with swimming pool two years ago.

The judgement has sent shivers to all others who knowingly or not have settled on refugee property, since a 2001 EU regulation makes national court rulings enforceable in the country of the guilty party. And this is what Candounas and his client intend to do now that Cyprus is a full member of the EU.

The decision issued by the Nicosia District Court on 9 November 2004 orders the Orams to demolish the house along with the swimming pool and perimeter wall and return the property to the rightful owner without further ado. Furthermore, they are ordered to pay CYP7,654,83 cents in damages and CYP294.41 a month from December until the property is returned to Apostolides, plus court costs.

Insulting

Meletis Apostolides, who was 24 when his family were forced out of their home and property by the invading Turkish army in 1974, holds dear memories of his life there and wants to replant the citrus grove uprooted for development by the British couple.

"I do not have anything against the British, Germans or any other nationals coming to live in Cyprus as long as they don’t do it as receivers of stolen goods," Apostolides, a father of two adult children, told The Cyprus Weekly. "This behaviour is insulting to the British who live legitimately in the free part of the island and to the well-meaning English people at large. A message must be given that they cannot do this sort of thing without consequences."

As the enforcement of the Nicosia court decision in the occupied areas is not feasible, Apostolides could ask the English High Court to confiscate the Orams’ property assets in the UK to meet the pecuniary aspect of the decision.

According to the EU regulation, following a request by a national court to have its judgment enforced by the courts in the guilty party’s country, the latter courts cannot review the merits of the original decision but can only decide on procedural matters.

The London Times in a full page article under the title "Britons face losing homes in Cyprus as refugees reclaim land" wrote that it will be the first time that the High Court has tested the EU 2001 regulation.

Apostolides said he was shocked to find out that a house stood in the place of their old orchard and decided to do something about it. He started by finding out who the trespassers were and when he achieved this he looked for the right lawyer to handle his case.

Lawyer Constantinos Kandounas said the crucial part was serving both the law suit and the court judgment on the Orams. When they filed the case at the Nicosia District Court they also had to hand it to the respondents in Lapithos.

This they did under pouring rain knocking at the Orams’ door with a court bailif and a Turkish Cypriot employee of Kandounas. Linda Orams took the documents but refused to sign for them.

The Orams failed to appoint a defence until it was too late and the court had already issued its judgment in favour of the applicant Meletis Apostolides. Serving the court decision on the trespassing couple proved easier, as the plaintiffs had the cooperation of the Oram’s Turkish Cypriot lawyer Minhan Sagiroglu, at whose office the judgment was served. Yet the Orams refused to sign.

The Orams this week finally applied unilaterally to the Nicosia District Court for a stay of the decision and to have it set aside. Kandounas has asked the Court to allow his participation in the proceedings and at the same time has filed another case against the Orams for contempt of court in refusing to comply with its ruling.

All three cases - the Orams’ application, Kandounas application to participate in the proceedings and the contempt of court - will be heard on December 20 and, depending on the outcome, Apostolides will ask the British High Court to enforce the Cypriot court’s decision in the UK.

"The Orams will most probably contest this, but their options are limited by the EU regulation," Kandounas said, and added: "They will have to prove that they had a good reason for not appointing a defence in the case against them, and also that they have a good case."

Kandounas is well-known for his participation in the bicommunal contact effort, having set up his own information centre for Turkish Cypriots when movement restrictions were eased. He has also made a written submission to the Select Committee of the British Parliament which is carrying out an inquiry on Cyprus and was interviewed by the Committee during its recent visit to the island.

In his interview with the Cyprus Weekly, Kandounas said he is preparing more law suits against other EU citizens, besides Britons, who have usurped Greek Cypriot property in the occupied areas.

"We have to react if we really want to work for a solution to our problem," he said.

Cyprus shares EU presidency in 2011

By Myria Antoniadou in Brussels

CYPRUS will hold the EU presidency together with Poland and Denmark for the 18-month period starting in July 2011 and ending in December 2012.

The decision on which countries will be grouped together along with the periods they will hold the presidency was taken by the permanent representatives this week, according to sources. It has yet to be formally approved by a Council.

The new running order for the presidencies begins in January 2007, based on the assumption that Romania and Bulgaria will be joining then and the EU constitution stipulating for the change in the rotating presidency is approved.

In grouping, several factors – such as geographical position, economies and “old” and “new” states balance – were taken into consideration. How each group divides the leadership work depends on the countries involved, one source said.

It could either be by giving the lead to each of the three states for six months or by delegating work according to their interests, capabilities, expertise etc.

The change in the six-month rotating presidency now used was considered necessary after the EU enlarged from 15 to 25 states. Most governments argued it would be a very long time until each state took over and six months was not sufficient time to implement change.

The grouping of the presidencies, along with an increase in the period, is foreseen in the EU constitution that has to be ratified by each member state: a task considered as quite difficult. The Constitution also gives the European Council a permanent president for 30 months.

EU backs civil society

By Myria Antoniadou in Brussels

THE EUROPEAN Commission has decided to further back civil society in the 10 new member states, including Cyprus, as it believes enhancing citizens’ control over their governments is essential for good governance.

A call for proposals to this end was announced in Brussels yesterday, focusing on areas such as the rule of law, democracy, fundamental rights, media pluralism and the fight against corruption.

“Alternative funding mechanisms, such as private foundations, are not yet sufficiently developed in the ten new member states,” the Commission said in a press release. It added that as a result many NGOs have difficulty securing the “minimum level of finance needed to undertake actions.”

The proposals, which should be based on EU policies, should be submitted by February 15, 2005. The projects approved could start running from April of the same year and over a 12 month period. According to the rules set out, NGOs from all member states can come in as partners, but the lead organisation has to come from one of the new states.

More information can be found on:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/funding/support_ngo/funding_support_en.htm

Study shows 1.6% price rises since January

By Stefanos Evripidou

THE RESULTS of a recent study on the changes in price of 430 everyday goods and services revealed that prices in general have gone up by 1.62 per cent from January to October of this year, with the biggest increase shown in tuition fees and the greatest drop in the cost of telecommunications.

The Cyprus Consumers Association using RAI Consultants monitored the changes in prices of 430 goods and services for the period January- October 2004, recording prices before and after EU accession on May 1 2004. The results were as follows:

Food and beverage (non-alcoholic), accounting for 23 per cent of products monitored, showed an average increase in price of 0.61 per cent from the beginning of the year until October. Prices dropped almost two per cent between March and April, slowly rising by 3.4 per cent during the summer months and dropping again by October to the 0.61 per cent mark, mainly due to a considerable fall in the price of fruits.

Alcohol and tobacco, accounting for four per cent of all products monitored, saw an average drop from January to October of 1.09 per cent, mainly due to the reduction in the price of imported alcohol after EU accession.

Clothing and footwear, accounting for seven per cent of total products, saw a rise in average prices by 2.14 per cent by October. However, this category jumped in price by almost 20 per cent in the May-June period, only to drop during the summer sales by 18.65 per cent. Clothes and footwear saw a huge leap in prices after the sales of over 25 per cent. But calculating price rises from the beginning of the year, the average fluctuation until last month was recorded at 2.14 per cent.

Housing, water, electricity and fuel, (five per cent of all products), showed an average decrease in price up to 9.83 per cent, with the biggest reduction coming straight after May.

The average cost of Furniture, household appliances and maintenance (eight per cent of all products monitored) gradually rose from January to October by 6.89 per cent, mainly as a result of price rises in furniture and decoration.

Goods and services under Health (six per cent) saw a minimal rise in average prices of 0.52 per cent.

Transport (accounting for 24 per cent of all products monitored) saw an increase of 2.51 per cent by October. This category was subdivided into the price of Vehicles, (which dropped by over six per cent); Fuel, lubricants and maintenance, (increase of almost 10 per cent);

Insurance and taxes (rise of over six per cent), and Transport services (3.5 per cent rise).

The cost of Recreation and culture (accounting for five per cent) rose by under two per cent, mainly due to the increase in prices of newspapers.

Tuition saw the highest price rise with a 12.37 per cent increase since January, recorded mainly between August and September with the start of the new school term.

Hotels, coffee shops and restaurants (accounting for six per cent) recorded price rises of three per cent by October, with up to seven per cent hikes during the tourist summer months, which dropped a little by September.

Personal care goods and services (accounting for five per cent) saw a rise of 1.66 per cent.

Communications was responsible for the greatest drop after May, seeing an almost nine per cent drop in prices, reaching 10.57 per cent decreases by October. The biggest factor in the drop came under the mobile phone category.

The great golfing mystery

By Sofia Kannas

Is it time to throw our clubs behind more courses?

AS THE first chill of winter sets in, the mystery surrounding the government’s proposal for the creation of golf courses on the island appears no closer to being solved.

A ministerial committee was appointed in July to look into the proposal, after the Cabinet failed to reach a decision on the issue. But four months on, the content of the latest proposal remains tightly under-wraps, and rumours of scandalous incentives – involving tens of millions of pounds – to developers continue to abound.

George Perdikis, Chief of the Green Party, said he had “no idea” what the government’s latest suggestions on the subject really were, but revealed that the number of courses had been upped to 14 instead of six in the latest proposal put before ministers.

“It seems there are internal discussions at government level and some ministers want to reconsider the whole thing.”

Perdikis said 14 new golf courses were “too many” and that the number should be restricted to six.

He added other “new developments” included plans to restrict the irrigation of greens to treated or desalinated water bought from private companies.

He also said he expected further delays before a final decision was reached by ministers: “I can smell it in the air.”

Themos Demetriou, President of the Technical Chamber of Cyprus (ETEK), said the government’s inconsistent approach was worrying, and has called for “sound justification” for increasing the number of golf courses and related developments.

“The fact that they keep shifting is an indication that there has been no serious study into the matter. The decisions appear to have been taken on the basis of impressions rather than a feasibility study.”

He also said the government had “consistently refused” to enlighten ETEK on the direction the proposal was taking.

“We’ve had some verbal information but nothing official.”

Demetriou said any developments should be constructed with great care after careful environmental, social and economic studies.

“The developers say they’re going to develop courses and they’ll put in the capital, so they want development rights to sell some land and real estate. Once they get the capital out of that, they say they will pump money back into the golf course and this will attract more golfers to Cyprus.

“This is the thinking behind the policy, but we’re not convinced it will work. We want to see more justification behind this.”

George Lillikas, Minister for Trade and Industry was unavailable for comment this week.

But a spokesman for the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) said the organisation was definitely in favour of upping the number of golf courses on the island because they would boost tourism on the island, especially during the winter months when the number of holiday-makers falls away.

“It’s good for spending and good for Cyprus’ revenue,” he said.

Leptos Developments, one of several companies rumoured to be considering investing in developing a golf course, declined to comment on the issue.

But Panayiotis Michaelides, a golfing manager for Aphrodite Hills golf course, has urged golf critics to think again.

The opening of the prestigious Lanitis developers’ resort in the Paphos district two years ago, he says, has given Cyprus a “totally new dimension,” and a vitally important one on an island where tourism is the mainstay of the national economy.

“What we developers are doing is giving the opportunity to Cyprus to develop tourism during the dead winter months,” he says. “The CTO have released their own figures for golfing holidaymakers on the island and in Paphos hotel occupancy has rocketed. Many guests have their golf clubs with them, which is clear evidence that golfing is growing.”

But it’s not just the golf clubs that tell the story. According to Michaelides, there has been a 60 per cent increase in business at Aphrodite Hills for the 2003-2004 season.

“Nobody invests without a return but people have this image that we are lining our pockets at the expense of others. This is not true. Critics should come and look at our development, and ask those living in the surrounding communities if their quality of life has not improved since the resort opened.”

With the scale of future golfing developments yet to be announced by the government, fears for the safety of the environment are inevitable. But Michaelides reassures that, if properly managed, a golfing development can work in harmony with the natural surroundings, and says sound environmental studies as well as the presence of a resort environmental manager go a long way towards allaying such fears.

He also feels the government have come in for unwarranted flack.

“Many government members have done a very good job and conducted studies to see whether these projects can survive. But others need to do more to get the real picture – which is that these initiatives will bring benefits to all.”

Critics like the Greens, however, are not going to be easily convinced. For many the government’s resounding silence on the golfing proposals must be broken if they are to change their minds and throw their clubs firmly behind the government.

Atlantis? Bring on the evidence
By Jean Christou

A FRENCH geologist living in Cyprus yesterday challenged American researcher Robert Sarmast’s claim that he has discovered Atlantis under the sea between Cyprus and Syria, and called him to participate in a public debate on the issue.

Sarmast announced on Sunday at a news conference at Limassol port that he and his team had located man-made structures in the area they had earmarked as the site of the underwater lost city.

He said two walls three kilometres long had been located and that the Acropolis Hill was 2.5 miles long and half a kilometer wide.

“It’s definitely the Acropolis Hill of Atlantis,” Sarmast told journalists at the port.

But Dr Michel Morisseau, a geologist who lives on the island, said it could not be possible to find any intact man-made structures if the lost city had been deluged in the manner described by legend.

“I was shocked by the news because it has nothing to do with the geological facts and we have to be extremely careful in such announcements,” Morisseau told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

“How can you prove that a mythical city, supposedly built above sea level is now sitting 1,800 metres below sea level without any damage? What was the process of the subsidence? If there is a rapid subsidence it should be upside down and you should not be able to recognise anything. You cannot be able to recognise a wall. It’s a problem of geological mechanism. Everything would have been destroyed. This is my main question.”

Morisseau, who used to work with the French Geological Survey’s Department, said he had seen Sarmast’s map broadcast on Sunday and said it did not fit at all with geological facts.

“He is just coming here and we don’t know who he is and what he is doing.

I would like to talk with him. Everything should be put on the table to have a real debate otherwise he can say whatever he wants. There is no limit,” said Morisseau.

Sarmast, the author of Discovery of Atlantis: The Startling Case for the Island of Cyprus, said on Sunday it would require a second expedition to dig further. This would cost another $250,000, he said. He also said the full set of visuals taken during last week’s secret expedition would be compiled and released over the next two weeks and that people could then judge for themselves.

He said the fact they found the walls at all was “a miracle”.

“We cannot yet provide tangible proof in the form of bricks and mortar, as the artifacts are still under several metres of sediment, but the circumstantial and other evidence is now irrefutable,” Sarmast said.

He said what remained of Cyprus today was “just the mountain tops of the old Atlantis peninsula”.

“If this is not Atlantis, what is?” he said.

Sarmast bases his theory that Cyprus is Atlantis on Plato’s writings Timaeus and Crititias, saying that almost every clue in Plato’s description of the legendary continent perfectly correlates with data obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, originally released only a decade ago. The data was obtained in 1987 during a scientific survey of the Mediterranean.

Pavlos Flourentzos, the director of the Antiquities Department, said yesterday he still believed it was all nonsense.

“I do not know of any city that was destroyed under the sea in this area. Not only is it not in history, but he refers to Plato and many people believe Plato was speaking of the Minoan culture. Plato came many years after those events, thousands of years, so it’s not first-hand information,” he said.

Governor sees ERM deal by March
By Michele Kambas

CYPRUS and the European Union should reach agreement on the country's admission into the European exchange rate mechanism (ERM2) by the end of next March, Central Bank of Cyprus Governor Christodoulos Christodoulou said yesterday.

"I agree with the government's aim of joining as soon as possible," he told Reuters after a meeting in parliament.

"The government should make its position clear by the end of the year and (by) the end of March there should be a conclusion with the relevant institutions in the EU."

Like other EU newcomers, Cyprus will need to have its currency inside the ERM2 for at least two years before it can adopt the euro. It is seen making its bid for ERM2 entry later this year or early 2005.

Christodoulou said the Cabinet had reaffirmed on October 19 that Cyprus should press ahead with its bid.

ERM2 membership would require anchoring the Cyprus pound to the euro at a central parity rate with a 15 per cent fluctuation band.

It had been widely expected to pitch its bid for ERM2 admission immediately after Cyprus joined the European Union last May, but fiscal slippage and the debate on the Annan plan put it on the backburner.

In a presentation to the House Finance Committee earlier, Christodoulou said that the prevailing wisdom in Europe was to group together Cyprus and Latvia for their ERM2 ambitions.

Of the 10 mainly eastern European countries which joined the European Union in May, three - Slovenia, Lithuania and Estonia - are already in ERM2.

Cyprus has set 2007 or very early 2008 as its target for adoption of the euro, and Latvia 2008.

"It is very important not to miss our targets," Christodoulou told deputies.

A convergence plan envisages trimming the island's budget deficit to 2.9 per cent of gross domestic product by the end of 2005, putting it just about within the margins of EU euro thresholds. The deficit is expected to peak at 5.2 per cent for 2004.

"We have to show consistency and that we mean what we say," said Christodoulou, who recalled that the convergence plan was the latest addition after a series of economic pledges Cyprus made but did not keep.

But he said the economy had deep-rooted structural problems.

"I would want to focus on spending, on the repeated overheads. In 2000 we had a state payroll of 668 million pounds, in 2004 it grew to £1.06 billion. The question is, how do you tame it?"

The Cyprus pound has been pegged to the euro, and its predecessor, the ECU, since 1992. The present reference rate is one Cyprus pound equalling 1.7086 euros, and the currency now fluctuates in an unofficial band of 15 per cent.

In the first 10 months of the year the pound had appreciated against the euro by 1.52 per cent, with the fluctuation staying in the narrow confines of 2.25 per cent, Christodoulou told parliament.

"This is proof of a strong pound which by and large underpins the public's confidence in the currency," he said. (R)

Cheaper fuel prices come into force
By Elias Hazou

CONSUMERS will be getting – at least temporarily – a breather as the price of fuel drops, just as winter gets ready to kick in.

The break came on Saturday, when parliament approved a tax reduction of three cents on heating oil; that, coupled with a 2.5 to 3 cent fall in market prices due to a drop in crude oil prices, would alleviate people’s pockets by almost six cents per litre.

The move came amid mounting pressure from mountain communities that they could not cope with the soaring fuel prices of the past couple of years, accusing the government that they were being left out in the cold – literally.

For its part, the opposition was quick to jump on the bandwagon and take up the communities’ banner, in a bid to portray the administration as anti-welfare.

To prevent cheating, it has been decided that heating oil will be coloured yellow to distinguish it from vehicle fuel and agricultural fuel. It will also contain tracer elements, and will be available in this form as of today.

Moreover, petrol, kerosene and diesel prices were expected to drop starting yesterday, after oil companies received the latest, cheaper, shipments in November.

Outlets were set to reduce market prices accordingly, with reports quoting the following figures: 46.9 cents per litre for 95 Octane petrol, 47.8 for 98 Octane petrol, 42.3 for heating fuel, and 43.8 for kerosene and diesel.

All four major oil companies on the island –Lukoil, Hellenic Petroleum (EKO), Petrolina and Exxon-Mobil – have indicated imminent changes to their pricelist.

Despite being a welcome development for the man or woman on the street, political controversy was not to be avoided. While main opposition party DISY charged that greater reductions could have been made with no detriment to state coffers – the government begs to differ, insisting it is cash-strapped – the Greens yesterday lashed out at the administration, accusing it of a slapdash and quick-fix attitude to solving problems.

Greens chairman George Perdikis suggested the government had cunningly fast-tracked the bill through parliament on Saturday morning, and was able to get away with it because the media’s attention was necessarily turned to the visit by Greek Premier Costas Karamanlis.

He went on to describe the bill as “patchwork”, adding that the government lacked a comprehensive or coherent energy policy. Moreover, the new arrangements did nothing to alleviate lower-income households, argued the Greens.

On a more practical level, the Petrol Station Operators Association has warned that 80 per cent of stations were not equipped to transport the different types (colours) of fuel proposed by the government. The association also said some of its members might refuse to sell coloured fuel because transport costs of acquiring new tankers and drivers were too high.

For their part, mountain dwellers were unimpressed with the new arrangement, insisting the cost reduction was unsatisfactory; they also complained the government had only acted in the nick of time, just before the cold bites in.

Weather forecasts see a drop in temperatures this week, starting today.

Libra buys Helios Airways
By Jean Christou

LIBRA Holidays Group (LHG) yesterday announced the acquisition of the private Cypriot airline Helios Airways after month-long negotiations.

The decision to acquire the airline was taken by LHG as it expands its operation into the scheduled airline market, using Cyprus as its centre, the company said in an announcement. The deal, believed to be worth in the region of £5 million was signed on Friday in London.

Chief Executive of the Libra Holidays Group Andreas Drakou, said: “We have achieved our aim to expand the group’s activities in Cyprus and the acquisition of Helios Airways offers us a unique opportunity to expand our business into the island.”

Drakou said LHG would be expanding the airline’s existing services further into the UK and the rest of Europe. “This move gives us the opportunity to explore the scheduled flight market within our existing activities alongside other projects we are currently developing,” he said.

LHG recently sold its own airline Excel, but Drakou said the group’s relations with the airline would continue, “with Excel assisting us with fleet planning and marketing.”

Helios, which began operations in 1999, currently operates mainly scheduled flights from the UK and Ireland to Cyprus and charter services from Bristol, Newcastle and Humberside, with the recent addition of a service departing from Birmingham. Helios’ fleet includes two Boeing 737-800, ‘Zela’ and ‘Veni’ which have a capacity of 189 passengers. A third aircraft, ‘Olympia’, was introduced earlier this year. The Boeing 737-300 carries 136 passengers and offers a full frills service.

Coinciding with Cyprus’ full membership of the EU on May 1, 2004, the airline introduced a premium service on Heathrow scheduled flights. The Helios Plus service offers priority check-in, use of the Executive airport lounge, separate Helios Plus cabin with enhanced personal service on board, spacious seating, including unoccupied centre seat guaranteed, complimentary champagne, and a luggage allowance of 30kg per person as opposed to the usual 20kg

Tourism and the environment

Gardening with Patricia Jordan - Topiary or not topiary?

Fresh from a trip to the US, our gardening writer muses on plants being fashionable

I have just returned from a trip to the US, land of vast open spaces and huge lawned areas surrounding houses.

These have to be mowed regularly of course with sit-on lawn tractors, what else? Tuned into a personal CD player of favourite music to drown out the noise, as soon as work is finished on a Friday evening, out come the ‘gardeners’ who then drone away like a hive of bees.

American gardens remind me of German gardens. Both have large shrubs and fir trees very close to the house. They are mainly small conifers and trimmed box (which always smell of cats) and look neat, if unimaginative. They eventually grow too big and have to be felled or severely pruned. For centuries topiary has been a favourite way of displaying shrubs and many grand gardens had, and some still have, wonderful displays. Nowadays people don’t have the time to spend cutting such intricate shapes although garden centres do offer some interesting shaped forms to get you started. The current favourite is called ‘clouds’ where the tree or bush appears to have clouds of leaves on each side, arising from the main stems. I have seen bougainvilleas growing this way in Malaysia and maybe that is where this trend has come from. I am going to try it out on a Ficus that is rapidly outgrowing its pot and some Euonymus bushes, so watch this space!

Wooden decking features in many gardens there especially when houses are split-level. It was in vogue much earlier in the US than in the UK. We don’t see wooden decking here in Cyprus so much as block paving and pavers. One of the UK’s biggest DIY stores claimed that it constantly ran out of decking once Alan Titchmarsh of the BBC’s Ground Force hands-on gardening programme started using it in the gardens he re-arranged. Everyone had to have it.

Talking of fashions, plant fashions come and go as new plants are introduced and old ones pass out of favour. The Victorians loved ferns and everything was draped with them; prior to that it was exotic houseplants and fruit trees grown in Orangeries and against heated walls in walled gardens. More recently Hostas and Hemerocallis (Day lilies) were everyone’s favourites and I have to admit to having had huge collections of them back in the UK. The current trend is for ‘Prairie Planting’ where grasses and complementary flowers like rudbeckias, verbenas and others intermingle and ‘move’ with the grasses. There has to be movement these days! I am not sure that this trend will catch on here as some of the most attractive grasses available are sandy coloured or light tan and we have more than enough of dried up looking grasses along the roads and fields from May to October anyway.

However, there are grasses I think others would enjoy in their gardens. Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratus), for instance, graces my herb garden in a glorious clump and has leaves that make wonderful tea and stalks that are used in Vietnamese recipes. Lots of people grow Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) as a feature plant with huge silver plumes that wave gently in the breeze. The best way to prune the plant is to set fire to it during the winter. Do this with extreme care and only when it appears dormant and you will be rewarded with a newly invigorated plant the following spring.

Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ is a great favourite of mine. It’s wonderful aubergine coloured leaves are only surpassed by its soft, fluffy, long cat’s tail flower heads. Don’t be tempted to dig it up in the springtime because you think it is dead. It takes a long time to ‘get going’ but when it does it is a real show-off!

Christmas Veggies

IT’S TIME to plant veggies for Christmas now such as broccoli and kohl rabi (kolumbra) and cabbages and cauliflowers. Dig over your plot and add any compost you have and water well. If you buy your seedlings from a garden centre – where they are so cheap -- make sure you soak them well before planting out. Leave about 25cm between each one because they will grow fast!

You can also sow the seeds of broad beans now for later on. Some people like to soak the beans before planting and it does give them a little extra start, especially if the ground is dry. Plant them out 20cm apart and water well. You can sow them in individual pots and then transplant them when they are a manageable size. This will check the growth for a bit though. Nip out the top after you have about three or four sets of flowers, other wise they will grow straggly. You can save the seed from one year to the next and you may never have to buy broad beans again!

Now is also the time to start to sow seeds of your favourite perennials (plants which come up every year) and to take cuttings in order to have some of your plants in reserve lest the main plant dies. More about cuttings next month.

Plant of the Month: Pomegranate

POMEGRANATES, (Punica granatum), symbols of fertility, have been known to man since well before the birth of Christ. Trees of them were recorded as having been planted between 1528 and 1510 BC in Egypt and they appeared in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings as well. Punica is a contraction of the Latin punicum malum, which was the Carthaginian apple.

Pomegranates were introduced from Iran, Afghanistan and eastern Turkey and grow well in most parts of Cyprus. They prefer a semi-arid to sub-tropical climate but do not like humidity. They were eaten sometimes by childless women in the hope that they would become pregnant and thrown at the door of a newly married couple whereupon the fruit would spill open scattering all the little seeds inside and hopefully be a precursor to a fruitful marriage. They are also used at the other end of life when someone has passed away. Known as kolifa, a mixture of pomegranate fruits, raisins, almonds, boiled and cooled white wheat and sesame seeds are offered to all those attending memorial services for the departed.

The Pomegranate is a pretty but untidy-looking tree with lovely bronzy new leaf growth in spring, followed by flame red funnel shaped flowers and fruits later. Trees can grow to around five to seven metres in a sunny spot and, apart from some black fly on the new growth in the spring, which should be sprayed, not much else attacks it. It’s a good idea to shorten the branches for the first three years in order to have a good shape and there after only remove any dead branches or suckers. The distinctive fruits, which are familiar to us all, are encased in a hard shell and are ripe when they make a metallic sound when tapped. This is usually any time between August and October depending where you live.

The juice, extracted by crushing, is used in the manufacture of grenadine and for jellies and syrups. Pomegranates are rather messy to eat – best outside! -- and care should be taken not to get the juice onto clothing as it makes a stain that is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove. Apparently, black dye obtained from the shell of the fruit was used to dye vrakas, so it is truly a Cypriot fruit.

Questions

Q. I have found a little green insect gnawing away at my plants. It has a distinctive shape almost like a shield. What is it and what should I do about it?

A. You have described a ‘Green Shield Bug’, (Palomena prasina), which is also known as a Stink Bug because of the dreadful smell it emits from its thorax if it is handled or disturbed. In small numbers it does no real harm but can be a nuisance to farmers’ crops. As the season goes on, it changes colour to a greyish-fawn.

Q. Some of the new growth on my hollyhocks looks mildewy. What should I do?

A. You could spray them with a fungicide but as they flower from seed in the first year. It would be better to get rid of them and plant new seed.

More Garden Chemicals Banned!

Patricia Jordan, Cyprus Mail

Notice For Northern Cyprus Properties
19-08-2004

The European Court of Human Rights ruling affirmed the rights of Greek Cypriots to their property in the north. Therefore, Britons and other nationalities who purchased Cyprus property in the north stand to lose big time in the event of a settlement, and could also be liable to compensate the rightful owners of the property.

British High Commission spokesman Stewart Summers confirmed that a recent warning about buying property in the north added to the Foreign Office travel advisory of an increase in numbers of Britons making enquiries on house buying in the occupied areas.

The amendment to a website, instigated by Mr. Summers, was made last month, and the advice on buying property follows immediately after the British government’s recommendations on visiting northern Cyprus.

It reads: “The non-recognition of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ and the possibility of a future political settlement in Cyprus could have implications for those considering buying northern Cyprus properties. Before purchasing a northern Cyprus property you are advised to appraise yourself fully of the situation and seek legal advice.”

Summers said, “The government has decided to take a more pro-active, rather than reactive approach (to the subject of buying property in the north of Cyprus) in the light of it becoming a more regular occurrence, and the subsequent attention it has received in the media.”

Commenting on the change, he added, “legally we can’t tell people ‘don’t do it’, but we are trying to make them fully aware of the potential hazards.”

By Cyprus Mail Newspaper

Off Plan Investment Properties in Cyprus from CYP£26,950    by Investors Provident

The property market in Cyprus has boomed in the last three years, and is set to continue as the country realises the fruits of joining the EU. Becoming increasingly popular with Brits after Spain and France, properties here offer excellent value for money as many of Investors Provident clients have realised.

(PRWEB) September 14, 2004 -- The third largest island in the Mediterranean with an area of 9,251 square kilometres, the country of Cyprus encompasses citrus and olive groves, pine-forested mountains, and some of Europe’s cleanest beaches. An island of great scenic beauty, with its intriguing history and mythological wonders, Cyprus is a country with characters and traditions all of its own.

The climate on Cyprus is typically Mediterranean, with long dry summers and short, rainy winters. The average annual temperature is 19°C, but in summer, it can reach over 40°C. Cyprus boasts an average of 340 days of sunshine a year, making it a prime holiday destination all year round.

The capital of the country, Nicosia, lies at the centre and is the administrative post and the seat of government. Limassol lies on the south coast of Cyprus and is the country’s second largest city. Lanarca in the south east is one of the oldest cities in the world, but also has a modern tourist centre with good shopping facilities. The tourist capital of Cyprus with mild climate and beautiful countryside, Paphos has attracted visitors to this south-western coastal town throughout history.

The property market in Cyprus has boomed in the last three years, and is set to continue as the country realises the fruits of joining the EU. Becoming increasingly popular with Brits after Spain and France, properties here offer excellent value for money. An average two bedroom apartment in Paphos costs CYP£65,000 (£77,000), and a two bedroom holiday villa will set you back CYP£130,000 (£154,000). Limassol is relatively cheaper with two bedroom apartments averaging CYP£55,000 (£65,000), and two bedroom holiday villas from CYP£110,000 (£130,500)

Investors Provident’s latest off plan release lies in Peyia, a whitewashed village with the most photogenic stretch of coastline to the north west of Paphos, and about 5km south west of the famous Coral Bay resort. Walking along the pine-scented streets of Peyia, it's easy to see where the development “Pine Village” gets its name from. The project consists of 45 apartments, including studios, 4 x 1 Beds and 4 x 2 Beds in a building that is 3 storeys high. All apartments offer dynamic sea or mountain views and cover an area from 377 sq ft to 977 sq ft.

The architecture of Pine Village includes external verandas, made of natural stone and wood. The high standards will be evident both inside and out. From the private parking areas to the tiles, roofs and stone made steps, each unit will present a charming combination of modern design combined with traditional aesthetics. Lush landscaped gardens will surround all areas of the development.

With apartments starting from an amazingly low price of CYP£26,950 (£30,625), investors will also benefit from a long build time of approximately 18-24 months. CYP£1,000 secures a plot in this off plan development with a further 30% deposit payable upon exchange. With property prices steadily rising, Pine Village offers investors today an excellent opportunity to own a piece of their own Mediterranean land in the sun.

Rupert Bates on the best buys abroad. This week: Cyprus

Anyone wanting to canvass the views of the average, middle-of-the-road Englishman or woman should hop on the first plane to Cyprus. That way, they can combine serious business with a nice Mediterranean jaunt.

While Spain is the first choice of the British buyer, Cyprus, apart from the sun, beaches and sheftalia (sausages), could be Farnham, that old Surrey haven for retired colonels. Young hedonists head for Ayia Napa on the east coast of Cyprus. Expats, who think car, not music, when garage is mentioned, move to Pafos in the south-west.

Having just joined the EU, the former British colony is getting even hotter. The popularity of this eastern Mediterranean island stems from a UK-based banking system, beneficial tax treaties, low crime rate and cost of living, driving on the left and several branches of Marks & Spencer.

Like Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon and Mozart in Salzburg, Aphrodite tends to dominate the town. Apparently, the Greek goddess of love was born in Pafos; not in a whitewashed villa, but rising from the foam of the local waters.

Pafos prices have risen 30 per cent in two years, but the harbour town, with its international airport, remains the island's best bet for rentals, with returns averaging 5 to 8 per cent. The majority of new homes being built in Cyprus are for the British, with two-bedroom apartments from £80,000, while a three-bedroom villa with pool will start from about £120,000.

Nikos Kyriakides, marketing director of Pafilia, an established developer on the island, warns that prices for new-build property could rise, with EU entry triggering VAT on new homes.

"Land is getting more expensive, but property is still cheaper than in Spain and France and competitive with new destinations. Cyprus taxes are among the lowest in Europe. While the average age of the British buyer is about 50, younger investors are moving in," he says.

EU membership means British buyers can now own a business outright and are entitled to let their properties - a practice that went on anyway. It also opens up the airspace to budget airlines. Flights to Britain take four hours.

Mr Kyriakides says the welcome mat Cypriots put down for the British - there are 50,000 living there - is out of respect for foreigners, learnt from eclectic conquerors down the ages.

There is warmth and wisdom in the coffee shops, with village elders in the foothills unfazed by the tourist boom scorching, and in some cases ruining, the coastline and eager to share history and lethal local spirits.

The market has bought developers and agents flocking to the island, with more than 200 operating in Pafos alone, so reputation and homework are important, as are builders who show their green credentials, by keeping densities low.

Cypriot lawyer Andreas Papadopoulos says tile deeds have to be issued by the Land Registry and you need permission to buy (a formality) from the Council of Ministers. Transfer fees vary from three to eight per cent, depending on value.

There is also an annual tax on properties over £100,000, ranging from two to 3.5 per cent. Capital Gains Tax is usually 20 per cent, with various exemptions. There is also stamp duty and legal fees to budget for.

The north of the island is seriously beautiful and cheap, but flawed, as reunification attempts fail and ownership rights are hard to guarantee. The south, led by Pafos, remains a magnet for the retired, as well as offering considerable investment potential.

Princess Anne pays flying visit to UK athletes in Paphos

Britain’s Princess Anne flew into Larnaca airport on a Cyprus Airways flight from Athens to pay a visit to the British Olympic Team training camp in Paphos.

The Princess, who has been attending the Olympic Games in Athens, flew to Cyprus on a commercial flight amid heavy security to inaugurate the Peyia Stadium later in the afternoon.

“Her Royal Highness is here to see the British team,” a British High Commission spokesman said. “There are no problems and everything is under control. It’s purely a private visit.”

The visit has remained a tightly-guarded secret though it has been on the cards for months. The Cyprus Mail learned that British security teams have been scrutinising Cyprus Airways for at least the past two months.

Princess Anne made the 90-minute journey by car from Larnaca Airport to Paphos, where a reception was held in her honour before the official ceremony. She flew back to Athens from Paphos airport in the evening.

“The fact that the Princess visited gave encouragement to the athletes and to the volunteers. It’s been a great day for everyone,” the High Commission spokesman said after the ceremony.

There are over 100 British expats, mainly from the Paphos area, acting as volunteers for Team GB, which has been training on the island for months.

“We are all obviously delighted that she is visiting,” said Team GB spokeswoman Katrina Bush who said there were quite a few British athletes still on the island, although many had already left for Athens over the past week.

During the peak training period at two training bases in Paphos, around 170 British Olympic hopefuls endured scorching temperatures to acclimatise them for the Athens games. The camp will close down fully by August 26, Bush said.

“By then there will only be half an dozen including support staff,” she added.

Weather has been an overriding factor in attracting athletes to Cyprus for Olympics training.

“It’s gone really, really well here,” said Bush. “All the athletes have been very pleased with the facilities here in Cyprus and training had gone well. Acclimatising has been a key part of the preparations here… getting used to the heat and so on and they have all been very, very positive about it.”

By Jean Christou, Cyprus Mail

Record number of beaches keep the Blue Flag flying in Cyprus

Cyprus scored a record number of Blue Flag awards yesterday, bringing to 41 the total number of beaches given the stamp of approval by the European beach regulator, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

The awards were announced to coincide with World Environment Day yesterday and the results of all the beaches have been placed on a website for the world to see. A list and map of this year’s Blue Flag spots can be accessed on line at www.blueflag.org.

The number of safe beaches in Cyprus rose by two from last year, putting Cyprus 12th on the league table of 25 countries in Europe and North Africa inspected by the FEE.

Konnos Bay and Loukkos tou Mandi in Ayia Napa will be flying the flags for the first time this year. But the Blue Flag for two of the 41 beaches will be withheld until certain recommendations are complied with. Coral Bay in Peyia is currently undergoing building works in the area while the Paphos municipality has yet to remove an old container sitting on Pharos beach.

A spokesman for the Cyprus Marine Environmental Protection Association (CYMEPA) said that the two beaches could get the flag reinstated once they complied with the recommendations.

CYMEPA acts with a number of other organisations and services as local jury for the Blue Flag campaign. They make recommendations to the international jury which has the final say, said Michael Ierides.

“We make a first inspection and propose beaches to the international jury who come and do spot checks once a year. We don’t have the final say but we make the recommendations and 90 per cent of the time they listen to us,” said Ierides.

“For the two beaches, we are withholding the Blue Flag until they comply with our requirements,” he added.

In total, 2,317 beaches and 603 marinas were awarded the Blue Flag for the 2004 season. Twenty-five countries took part in the campaign, included first-timers Montenegro.

Spain came first with 450 beaches awarded the Blue Flag. The top 12, in order, are: Spain, Greece, France, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, Britain, Croatia, Ireland, Sweden and Cyprus.

According to Ierides, Cyprus has achieved a great result, given the size of its coastline compared to the bigger countries. “We are very happy, it’s a very good result,” he said.

“You should look at it from the number of kilometres of coastline we have. Compare us to the thousands of kilometres of other countries. We have 41 Blue Flag beaches on a 500km stretch of coastline, compared to Greece which has 378 Blue Flags for a total coastline of around 16,000 km. If you were to divide the length of coastline by the number of blue flags, I am sure we would come top,” he added.

The Blue Flag works towards sustainable development at beaches and marinas through strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and other services.

Beaches must satisfy 27 different criteria to fly the EU quality symbol. Applicants must apply for their Blue Flag on an annual basis.

A new development in the testing of criteria is that the main condition – clean bathing water – has been passed on to the government since Cyprus joined the EU on May 1. CYMEPA has been responsible for checking on all 27 criteria for the Blue Flag beaches since the scheme was introduced in Cyprus in 1995, including taking water samples every two weeks during the bathing season.

“This is now the government’s obligation,” said Ierides adding that the responsibility now was not just to check the Blue Flag beaches, but all bathing areas. “This is one thing less to worry about. If the government does not do it they will be fined by the EU.”

CYMEPA will still have the responsibility to check on the other 26 criteria, which include, beach area management, safety and environmental education and information, said Ierides.

In its first year of operation Cyprus managed to garner 11 Blue Flags. By the year 2000 this had risen to 29 and last year to 39.

The Blue Flag awards provide an incentive for local authorities to maintain beaches and upgrade their quality every year and also contribute to the promotion of Cypriot beaches abroad. Foreign tour operators often specifically ask if an area has a Blue Flag.

The 41 Blue Flag beaches are:

Pernera, Vryssi, Protaras in Paralimni; Kolpos Konnos, Kermia, Ammos tou Kambouri, Glyki Nero, Pantachou, Loukkos tou Mandi, Katsarka, Vathia Gonia, Nissi, Nissi Bay, Lanta, Makronissos and Ayia Thekla in Ayia Napa; Giannathes in Voroklini; Phinikoudes and Mckenzie in Larnaca; Kalymnos Beach at Pentakomo; Panagies/Aoratoi at Pyrgos; Santa Barbara, Loures, Vouppa, Aphrodite, Onisilos, Armonia and Castella at Ayios Tychonas; Pissouri beach at Pissouri; Municipal Beach at Yeroskipou; Pachyammos, Vrysoudia A and B, Alykes, Municipal Baths and Pharos in Paphos; Coral Beach and Laourou at Pegeia and the Municipal and Dasoudi beaches at Polis Chysochous.

By Stefanos Evripidou, Cyprus Mail

Jan-June tourist arrivals up 7.8% in Cyprus

Tourism arrivals to Cyprus were 7.8 per cent higher year-on-year for the first half of 2004, official figures showed yesterday.

Arrivals rose to 961,852 by June 2004 from 892,655 in the corresponding period of 2003.

Tourism was 12.5 per cent down in the first half of 2003 because of lingering tensions over the US led invasion of Iraq.

Year on year for June 2004 alone arrivals were up 1.0 per cent from last year.

A rebound in 2004 arrivals was noted particularly from the German, Greek and Swiss markets, a breakdown showed.

By Staff Reporter, Cyprus Mail

ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES
More on the history of the Games

OLYMPIA

Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, is in the western part of the Peloponnese which, according to Greek mythology, is the island of "Pelops", the founder of the Olympic Games. Imposing temples, votive buildings, elaborate shrines and a