Turkey reported for failing to pay its debts to Cyprus

The government lambasted Turkey for its ongoing “flagrant disregard” for its legal obligation to comply with European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judgments regarding compensation in Greek Cypriot property cases, noting that Ankara’s dues exceeded €50 million in the Xenides-Arestis group of cases alone.

In a memorandum, Nicosia notified the Committee of Ministers of Turkey’s conduct in the matter. The Committee of Ministers – which will be sitting from September 14 to 16 – is the Council of Europe’s statutory decision-making body, and oversees the execution of ECHR judgments.

According to the memorandum, Turkey’s outstanding dues as of March 13, 2019 amounted to €52,842,414.97 for the Xenides-Arestis group of cases, which involves compensation for loss of use of properties by Greek Cypriot refugees.

The ECHR had awarded damages for loss of use of these properties belonging to Greek Cypriot applicants, for various dates between 1990 and 2012.

The government said that, beyond the compensation due in the Xenides-Arestis cases, Turkey must also pay €103 million in the ‘Cyprus versus Turkey’ inter-state case together with €244,000 in the Varnava cases – the latter concerning Greek Cypriot missing persons.

Nicosia asks the Committee of Ministers to express concern over Turkey’s disregard of its obligation to pay compensation in 33 cases of the Xenides-Arestis group, and to instruct the Secretariat to prepare an interim resolution requiring Turkish authorities to pay damages without delay.

In the Loizidou case, Cyprus asked that the Committee of Ministers called on Turkey to provide information and details in relation to the purported transfer of Loizidou’s  property to new users, the development status, and any evidence that users were Turkish Cypriots who left property behind in the south of the island.

Nicosia said that the Committee should resume consideration of the individual measures in the Loizidou case once Turkey provided this information.

Titina Loizidou, a Greek Cypriot applicant seeks to enforce a 1996 Court judgment, concerning the restitution and peaceful enjoyment of her property in Turkish-occupied Kyrenia, on the northern coast of Cyprus.