The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has expressed satisfaction with the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers’ decision to keep open its supervision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment on the Fourth Interstate Application of Cyprus v Turkey, specifically regarding the property rights of displaced persons. The outcome reflects months of diplomatic efforts and highlights ongoing concerns over the treatment of Greek Cypriot properties in the north of the island.
According to the MFA, Thursday’s vote showed reduced support for Turkey’s request to close supervision of the case compared with 2024. Cyprus maintains that the sale and exploitation of Greek Cypriot properties in the north violates ECtHR decisions, noting that such activity has intensified in recent years.
The Ministry said the Committee’s decision confirms Turkey’s continued non-compliance with its obligation to end these violations. It stressed that supervision cannot be terminated while Turkey fails to abide by the relevant rulings.
During the meeting, Cyprus proposed preparing a draft resolution to refer an interpretative question to the ECtHR concerning paragraph 63 of the Court’s 2014 Just Satisfaction judgment. The request would fall under Article 46.3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which allows the Committee of Ministers to seek clarification from the Court if the execution of a judgment is hindered by an interpretative issue. The MFA noted rising support for this initiative since it was first introduced in September 2024.
Speaking in a televised interview on Tuesday, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman said the decision of the Committee of Ministers would be 'decisive' with regards to the Immoveable Property Commission (IPC) in the north and future steps on Varosha.
He acknowledged that the IPC has been a 'headache' for years and that a lot of work is underway to make it more active and functional.
The IPC effectively has a funding issue as much of the compensation awarded to Greek Cypriot property owners remains to be paid. Efforts had been made in the past to level some sort of tax
Source: CNA