Turkey should speed up property claims for Greek Cypriot owners seeking compensation for land in the Turkish-controlled north of the divided Mediterranean island, the European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday.

Since a 1974 invasion by Turkey triggered by an Athens-backed coup, the island has been divided between the Greek-speaking south and the Turkish Cypriot north, which unilaterally declared independence in 1983 but is recognised only by Ankara.

In its ruling, the European court criticised the “protracted nature of the proceedings” for compensation claims brought by Greek Cypriots in the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

The court decried the “passive” approach of the TRNC’s Immovable Property Commission and said the authorities had stalled in preparing documents and gathering evidence.

It said the authorities in the north had not acted “coherently, diligently and quickly enough” in examining the claim brought by KV Mediterranean Tours Limited, the Greek Cypriot company that had lodged the court case against Turkey.

“Consistent and long-term efforts had to be continued” including “creating a remedy which secured genuinely effective redress in respect of delays”, the court said.

Property rights are a contentious issue in efforts to resolve the Cyprus conflict and one of the main reasons why decades of United Nations-backed talks have failed to reach a settlement.

Following the Turkish invasion, KV Mediterranean Tours had abandoned a building complex located in the now abandoned area of Famagusta in the north.

The company has applied to the north’s property commission, claiming compensation for the loss of use.

It also claimed restitution of the property and compensation for non-pecuniary damage.

The court ruled that Turkey must pay KV Mediterranean Tours 7,000 euros for non-pecuniary damage and 11,000 euros in respect of costs and expenses.

The company complained of unjustified adjournments and delays in the proceedings, arguing that national and ethnic considerations had played a part.

In the past, the ECHR has ruled that property claims must be submitted to the Immovable Property Commission, providing an accessible and effective framework for redress.

The Republic of Cyprus is an EU member state, while the TRNC covers about a third of the island.

Source: AFP