Receiving Imren Aykut yesterday, the former Turkish minister and Chairman of the Turkish Environment, Health and Education Foundation, who is currently in the TRNC to give a conference on the environment, TRNC President Rauf Denktas said that news reports published in the Greek Cypriot press to the effect that during the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s one day official visit to the TRNC on May 9, a part of Varosha would be given to the Greek Cypriots, are speculative reports. President Denktas said: "We had proposed to give one part of Varosha to the Greek Cypriots in return for the lifting of embargoes imposed upon us but, they rejected this. Therefore, these news reports are purely speculative."

Stressing that Varosha is a part of the TRNC, the President pointing out that a large part of the territory in the closed Varosha region belongs to the Evkaf and that the issue has been taken to court, said: "70-80% of the territory in Varosha belongs to the Evkaf and was illegally given to the Church, schools and persons or it was sold. This was done without the consent of the Evkaf and this issue has been taken to court."

In a separate meeting with the Mayor of Alsancak, Yucel Atakara, yesterday, President Denktas said: "There is no need to be concerned. TRNC title deeds are valid and will continue to be valid. The property issue can be solved through mutual compensation. However, this cannot be settled through the confrontation of the people, it must be settled between the two states and two governments."

Stressing that for various reasons a lot of Turkish properties in the South were expropriated by the Greek Cypriot authorities, President Denktas said that the necessary procedures were not followed according to the expropriation laws. He pointed out that property owners were not warned and were not given the opportunity to bargain.

Continuing, President Denktas said that when some TRNC citizens went to the South, they saw that their former homes had been bulldozed to the ground and turned into a field. He added: "They will probably do what is necessary to get their rights. Anyone who wants information on this issue should apply to us and we will help them about what they can do."

The Secretary General of the Greek Cypriot Communist Party, AKEL, and the Speaker of the Greek Cypriot Assembly, Dimitris Hristofiyas, alleged that Greek Cypriots’ staying in TRNC hotels was provocative and evaluated those Greek Cypriots going to entertainment places and casinos in the TRNC as "immoral".