1st Oct 2009- The position for those seeking to buy or sell property in Northern Cyprus is becoming even more complicated with a top European human rights court ruling against Turkey in cases concerning Greek Cypriot nationals and loss of their properties in northern Cyprus. At the same time The International Crisis Group (ICG) urged Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and President Demetris Christofias, the Greek Cypriot leader, to speed up peace talks on creating a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation and to put a final settlement to referendums in their communities in early 2010.
18 Greek Cypriot nationals took their cases to Strasberg concerning the loss of their properties in the northern part of Cyprus after Turkey’s 1974 intervention. The court ruled that Turkey had violated Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which covers the protection of property, concerning all 18 complaints.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) set up a property commission for dealing with property complaints from the Greek Cypriot side. In 2003 the KKTC set up a special committee to handle property complaints from Greek Cypriots and provide, when deemed necessary, compensation for the property they had to abandon in the Turkish north following Turkey’s military intervention in 1974.
Greek Cypriot Michael Tymvios had submitted an appeal against Turkey before the European court for the loss of his property in the northern part of Cyprus after Turkey’s 1974 intervention. He later withdrew his appeal and arrived at a settlement with the property commission in the north. In its related chamber judgment released in April 2008, the Strasbourg-based court said it “welcomes the agreement reached between the parties and takes note of the explanation given by the government concerning the conditional nature of the agreement insofar as it concerned a possible exchange of property” and that it “is satisfied that the settlement is based on respect for human rights as defined in the convention or its protocols.”
Meanwhile the Cypriot problem continues to roll on with The International Crisis Group (ICG) insisting that Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and President Demetris Christofias, the Greek Cypriot leader, to speed up peace talks on creating a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation and to put a final settlement to referendums in their communities in early 2010.
“Failure will mean an indefinite partition, leading to more strains in EU-Turkey relations, new frictions in the east Mediterranean, less EU-NATO cooperation, acceleration of the centrifugal forces scattering the Turkish Cypriots and new risks to the prosperity and security of Greek Cypriots,” it said in a report.
The ICG also said the European Union must “rapidly engage in support of the process” and called on the EU, the United States and Russia to organise a donor conference to commit financial support for a settlement.
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