The Council of Europe`s Committee of Ministers has called upon the Turkish authorities to examine “proprio motu”, that is, on their own initiative, the reports and military archives in their possession containing information on burial sites, including of relocated remains, and to transmit it to the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP).
The 47 Ministers` deputies, who convened between March 8 and 10, in Strasbourg, also asked Turkey to give unhindered access to the CMP to all possible military zones located in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus.
Examining Ankara`s progress in implementing the “Cyprus v. Turkey” and “Varnava and others v. Turkey” judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, the CoE insisted on Turkey`s unconditional obligation to pay the just satisfaction awarded by the Court and called upon the Turkish authorities to pay without delay the sums awarded in May 12, 2014.
Following the 2001 decision on the case “Cyprus v. Turkey”, the Strasbourg-based court ordered Turkey in May 12, 2014 to pay 90 mln euros in compensation for invading the northern part of the island. Additional compensation has been ordered in respect of applicants in the “Varnava and Others” case.
The Committee of Ministers notes with satisfaction the access provided to CMP last November to thirty additional military areas in the northern, Turkish-occupied part of the island, while welcoming a call made in December 2015 by the two leaders of Cyprus, who invited any person possessing information on the possible burial places of missing persons to submit it to the CMP.
They also reaffirmed, due to the passage of time, the urgency for the Turkish authorities to intensify their proactive approach to providing the CMP with all necessary assistance to continue to achieve tangible results as quickly as possible.
The Minsters` deputies will re-examine the issue of missing persons in their December 2016 meeting.
In a separate decision, examining progress in the “Varnava” and “Xenides-Arestis” cases, with regards to occupied property, the Committee of Ministers firmly insisted once again on Turkey’s unconditional obligation to pay the just satisfaction awarded by the European Court of Human Rights.
The CoE deplored the absence of progress in this respect and reiterated its invitation to the Secretary General and the member states to raise the issue of the payment in these cases, in their contacts with the Turkish authorities.
The 47 deputies will resume consideration of this issue at their June 2016 meeting.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. UN-led talks, aiming to reunite the island under a federal roof, resumed last May.
