Nicosia calls on the Council of Europe (CoE) to put under scrutiny the violations of property rights of enclaved Greek Cypriots. In a memorandum to the Committee of Ministers, the government of Cyprus asks to resume consideration of this issue in its September session, at which it has already been determined that the property rights of the displaced persons are to be considered. Moreover, the Republic of Cyprus says Turkey should provide information by June 1, 2018, to prove its alleged compliance.
The property rights of enclaved Greek Cypriots will be discussed in the next session of the Committee of Ministers, between 13-15 of March. Ahead of the meeting, Nicosia underlines Turkey’s “continued failure to pay the just satisfaction that has been ordered” which it says “demonstrates its disregard for the individual victims that the money was intended to compensate”.
It also says that by failing to comply with a judgment of such exceptional significance “Turkey threatens the effectiveness of the Convention system as a promoter of peace and a guardian of democracy and the rule of law”.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Following the 2001 judgment on the interstate case of “Cyprus v. Turkey”, the European Court of Human Rights, with its subsequent judgment of May 12, 2014, ordered Turkey to pay €30 mln to the relatives of missing persons and €60mln to enclaved Greek Cypriot residents of the Karpas peninsula, living in the north-eastern tip of Cyprus.
The government of Cyprus calls on the Deputies to underline the “vital importance of the unconditional obligation to pay the just satisfaction awarded by the Court in 2014” and “to express their dismay at the continued failure of Turkey to comply with that obligation”.
Nicosia also describes the dire situation of enclaved Greek Cypriots and invites the Committee to call upon Turkey to provide answers regarding their treatment.
In a separate memorandum to the Secretariat of the Committee of Ministers, Turkey says that “the property rights of Karpaz residents or their heirs were not included in this ruling” of May 2014.
It requests that Deputies terminate the examination of this issue, noting that the necessary measures are already in place and are being effectively implemented.