The north’s ‘deputy prime minister’ Fikri Ataoglu was the latest high-profile politician to weigh in on the matter of property sales in the north on Friday, saying “we do not desire for non-Turks to buy our land.”

Ataoglu was speaking at a conference in the Turkish city of Bursa, and said he is “sensitive” about the real estate and construction sectors.

He added, “as someone who knows the days of [1974] very well, I will continue to insist in cabinet until the end. Why should I allow foreigners to take over the lands defended by my martyrs?”

“If we have made it to this day, it is thanks to our motherland Turkey. When you look at the situation today, we who exist in the TRNC did not come down from the sky. We are among those who left the heart of the motherland,” he said.

“We have 90 million people behind us. The important thing is to protect the land in the TRNC, not to lose it to foreigners,” he added, saying “my main wish and hope is that the real estate built in these lands is claimed by us, not by foreigners.”

Also speaking at the conference was businesswoman Elif Canigulec Tekin, who said “the TRNC is the centre of the world’s attention with its unique geography, rich culture, and investment opportunities.”

She added, “today, people from around 40 countries are investing intensively in real estate in the TRNC, because real estate investments here offer golden opportunities in terms of foreign exchange earnings, high rental returns, and good prospects for the value of the real estate in question to increase.”

“It’s economically attractive,” she said.