European Court rules on Cyprus property cases
The European Court of Human Rights finalized three property cases filed by Greek Cypriot citizens complaining of loss of property in the island's north as a result of Turkey's 1974 intervention. In a ruling set to be a precedent for future cases, the court upheld the agreement reatched between Greek Cypriot applicant Michael Tymvios and the imovable property commission established in the north of the island as a domestic remedy mechanism to prevent Turkey from paying millions of euros in compensation.
Under the agreement, Tymvios have access to property belonging to Turkish Cypriots in the South of the island in return for his old property in the north. The court held that the applicant will be paid $1 million in compensation in addition to the property.
However, in another case the court ordered Turkey to pay 835,000 euros to compensate another Greek Cypriot citizen for loss of property in the island's north. The court ruled in favor of the heirs of Greek Cypriot citizen John Damades, who had failed a lawsuit seeking compensation over the loss of his home in the northern Cypriot town of Kyrenia. The court ruled that Greek Cypriots such as Demades, who owned homes in the north "could not be deemed to have lost the title to their property" and awarded compensation for losses "emanating from the denial of access and loss of control, use and enjoyment of property". In respect of the case filed by Greek Cyproit Demetriou, the court ruled that the case was removed from the records on the grounds that the compliant did not want to lengthen the case/
April 25, 2008
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