To The People of the TRNC

We are a group of British housewives, and their families, who it would appear are causing an upset to the Construction Industry in the beautiful TRNC. Well, we are here to try to explain ourselves and hope that you understand the reasoning behind our actions.

For many years now, some since 2003, we have been waiting for either our properties to be built or a refund of our monies paid. We are all the victims of AGA Development/Gary John Robb/Tahir Soycan and numerous other Directors of AGA which currently include Cafer Gurcafer, Head of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association. We were sold villas marketed by the sales team of Unwins Estate Agents. The villas were going to be built by AGA Developments. Both these companies have British and Turkish Cypriot Directors. We were all guided legally by Turkish Cypriot lawyers as to land issues, deeds, Contracts etc.

We have given these persons over 4 years now to put right the wrongs they have caused, and we have been completely ignored. Back in April 2007 we handed in a request by over 150 AGA buyers for help from Mr Soyer - we heard nothing from his office. We have put in our complaints to the Government's Property Complaints Office, but to date none of the complaints has resulted in a refund or other solution from this Government Dept. We have written thousands of letters and emails to anyone we thought would listen, and again hit a brick wall from within the Government of the TRNC. We have visited TRNC offices in the UK and Cyprus and met with lawyers and many officials only to find a wall of silence from within the TRNC. But the interesting fact is that in all this time while looking for justice, not only for ourselves but all AGA victims, we have unwittingly collated documented evidence of high level corruption which we will at some stage release into the public domain.

We are predominantly three families who are now in serious financial trouble with no light at the end of the tunnel for the return of our monies. We are not property developers, millionaires or business people, just three ordinary families who fell in love with the TRNC and wanted to put some “roots” there. We have been accused of “cashing-in” on cheap property, but, the price that we were paying at that time was no different to those in the rest of the EU. We all fell in love with the TRNC because it is unspoilt and has some of the friendliest people in the world, warm and helpful and welcoming. However, the island is a magnet to criminals and their activities, and this has been to the cost of the TRNC and its own people, not only us. Ask yourselves how these people manage to buy the biggest houses on the island and drive the most expensive cars? You do not see the average Turkish Cypriot in a Ferrari or an equally expensive 4 x 4, no, the ordinary people of Northern Cyprus struggle to find work and keep a roof over their heads - the same as ordinary people in the rest of Europe. Could this be due to the high level corruption that we have seen to exist in the TRNC? We do not wish to interrupt the business dealings of those honest business people who promote all that is good in the TRNC, but unless we make ourselves heard we will continue to be ignored and lose everything we have worked hard for in our lives. Interest rates in Britain are rising fast and we are all paying a huge amount of money every month for something that we do not have and are unlikely to have, whilst various directors of AGA take delivery of brand new cars on a regular basis.

You may ask yourselves as to why we have not taken the legal route in the TRNC. The straight answer to that is we have. One of our group actually has a Judgment, which was granted in April 2006. To date they cannot get anyone to enforce this Judgment. You have to ask why no one can enforce this Judgment?? We have evidence of three lawyers that cannot seem to enforce it. Another has been awaiting a Judgment since Oct 2005 - this family are still awaiting news on this Judgment after 2 years. We therefore have very little faith in the legal system of the TRNC, and now the British High Commission has stepped in to monitor the effectiveness of this legal system - to see if in fact it does exist for ordinary people, or is it a one-way street for those in good favour of the TRNC Government or other influential type bodies that seem to exist within Northern Cyprus?? Time will tell, we hope to be proved wrong.

We as AGA BUYERS ACTION GROUP cannot afford to be still and quiet any longer, we are fighting for the survival of our families. Our families are suffering and we want a stable family life just like everybody does. All we ask is for a refund of what we have paid, what has been stolen from us. We are starting to make waves now; this wave we hope will become a tsunami as our media campaign grows. Why is the Government so short sighted? Why can’t the Government see that we could also be a bonus to the TRNC and promote it as a safe haven in which to purchase a property? We could help the Tourist Industry to boom again, we have gained the knowledge and the experience to do this, but unless we are being seen to be helped, we can only fight for what is rightfully ours, and this in conclusion could have a wider implication on damaging the TRNC economy. We do not want to hurt anybody, especially innocent people like ourselves who are just trying to make the best of their lives. So we apologise to the innocent people of the TRNC but we hope that you understand from what we have said, our need to be seen and heard; after all we are only trying to safeguard our futures and as a lioness does, protect her pride from danger.

The Northern Cyprus Government must shoulder a lot of blame regarding the corruption. They know the outcome of Police Investigations into missing funds regarding AGA, and have not published anything, or indeed not one person has been brought to justice for what they have done to both UK and Turkish Cypriot people, this is not ACCEPTABLE IN ANY CIVILIZED SOCIETY. We urge Ferdi Sabit Soyer, Prime Minister of the TRNC, to stand by his statement that the construction sector is important to him and that "FOREIGNERS CAN KEEP CONFIDENCE...AND MAY COMFORTABLY PURCHASE HOUSES FROM THIS COUNTRY". If this is not the case, Mr Soyer and his Government should issue a statement to that effect so people are aware that there is no TRNC commitment to its foreign buyers and its construction industry. If you wish to see the full extract of the publication, "North Cyprus, A Comprehensive Guide to Buying Your Home, by the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association". where Mr Soyer, and other officials make promises they appear to not want to keep, please contact us at the below PO Box number or at agabuyersactiongroup at yahoo in the uk It will be our pleasure to send this to you. The same publication states that if members of the Association do not adhere to its strict standards "THE PENALTY THAT THE LAW REQUIRES IS IMPRISONMENT". AGA Developments Limited is listed as a member - as far as we are aware not one Director has been prosecuted with any offence, even though hundreds of people have lost millions of UK pounds. They are allowed to walk freely while their customers suffer.


If anyone has any information that could help us in our plight to expose any corruption, information that we can add to that which we already have, you can send it anonymously to:

AGA BUYERS ACTION GROUP
P.O. BOX 261
LEEDS
LS16 0BZ
United Kingdom

Our very best regards to you all and thank you for listening to us.

Aga Buyers Action Group
Pat, Sue, Sandra & Their Families
Ahmet Cagacar & Family

This one deserves to be bumped to the top of the thread list, for those thinking of buying in the North.

Don't do it, cheap doesn't mean good investment- only around 4% of the north's land has pre-1974 (safe) title deeds.



BUMP

Thanks for that reply
There are so many criminals that are wanted in other countries freely walking about and fleecing unsuspecting tourists of their life-savings. There is no legal safeguard for Foreign Investors in the TRNC. If you are lucky enough to get a judgement against a criminal - you will not be able to find a lawyer to enforce it. Its a lawless society. Google the below names and they will take you to the websites that will help you

trncpropertywarning.freewebsites
or
homebuyerspressuregroup

are 2 excellent info sites - pointing out pitfalls

DO NOT USE A LAWYER WHO IS NOT ON THE BRITISH HIGH COMMISION NORTHERN CYPRIOT LAWYER LIST - This can be found on both of the above sites

DO YOUR HOMEWORK - THOROUGHLY

Hi,

I fully understand your predicament. Together with my wife I own a company in the TRNC and we have bought parcels of land through this channel We have researched the whole property scene in the TRNC since 2003 when the borders opened and can give you this opinion. You will get no meaningful response from the TRNC Government until the the whole of the Island is actively part of the EC. That I believe is about to happen in 08 with the election in the south of Dem Christofias as president. When the TRNC is in the EC you have the big advantage of appealing to the higher courts in the EU.

I dont want to pour further misery upon you but when you finally get a judgement it does not necessarily mean that you will get a payment as that will depend on finding the funds which Gary Robb has stashed away.

I sincerely wish all three families the very best

Kismet