Regarding the session of the Council of Europe Committee of Delegates on human rights
The 1443rd session of the Council of Europe Committee of Delegates on human rights was held in Strasbourg on 20-22 September 2022. In the said meeting, Loizidou judgment and the relevant cluster of European Court of Human Rights’ (ECtHR) judgment on “Cyprus v. Turkey” were discussed.
The Committee of Delegates found the measures taken by our country regarding the Loizidou judgment of the ECtHR effective and sufficient, and decided to close the supervision of the execution of the issue, on 22 September 2022.
As it is known, the Immovable Property Commission (IPC), which was established in 2005 by our authorities to evaluate the property claims of the Greek Cypriot people, had been accepted as an effective domestic remedy by the ECtHR through the Demopoulos case in 2010 followed with its subsequent judgments. With its recent decision, the Committee closed the supervision of the execution of the judgment of the Loizidou case and, once again, has reaffirmed the effectiveness of the IPC. By protecting the property owners in accordance with the existing property regime in our country, the IPC provides remedies, in compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights, as it evaluates the Greek Cypriot applicants’ property claims for compensation, exchange and restitution.
Our position in the process of the supervision of the ECtHR’s Loizidou judgment, i.e. that the restitution of Lozidiou’s properties in question is not possible in accordance with the IPC Law, whereas the applicant could apply to the IPC and claim compensation and exchange instead, has been acknowledged by the Committee. Thus, while it has been revealed that the Greek Cypriot administration’s years long propaganda for the realization of restitution with reference to the Loizidou judgment is unfounded, the effectiveness of the remedies of compensation and exchange for the property claims has once again been reaffirmed.
In other words, according to this decision, the remedies of compensation and exchange in compliance with the IPC Law are as valid and effective as the restitution remedy.
This decision demonstrates once again that our country has established a property regime in line with the international law. Therefore, it is crystal clear that the IPC is the correct address for the property claims of the Greek Cypriots within our country’s territory.
Despite the fact that the Greek Cypriot side and their supporters, acting with political incentives in the Committee, delayed the closure of the supervision of Loizidou judgment, the decision taken on 22 September 2022 is a step in the right direction.
Non-closure of the supervision of the “Cyprus v. Turkey” judgment with regard to the property rights in the same meeting demonstrates that the known circles act not with technical but political concerns only.
Our authorities remain committed to respect the international human rights standards in its future endeavours, as the case has always been.
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