Skip to main content

Cyprus: Property

Volume 718: debated on Thursday 25 March 2010

Question

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they regard the European Court of Human Rights ruling on 5 March that the Immovable Property Commission in Northern Cyprus provides appropriate redress for Greek Cypriot complaints about deprivation of property following the 1974 Turkish intervention as de facto recognition of the enabling Government in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. [HL2935]

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling is not a de facto recognition of the self-declared “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (TRNC). The ECHR ruling stated clearly that,

“to the extent that any domestic remedy is made available by acts of ‘TRNC’ authorities or institutions, it may be regarded as a ‘domestic remedy’ or ‘national’ remedy vis-a-vis Turkey... the overall control exercised by Turkey over the territory of northern Cyprus entails her responsibility for the policies and actions of the ‘TRNC’”.

Accordingly, the Government do not regard this ruling as a de facto recognition of the self-declared “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”.

The full judgment of the ECHR in this case is available at http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?item =7&portal=hbkm&action=html&highlight=&sessionid= 49443179&skin=hudoc-en.