European court endorsement of local Cypriot property solution welcome

1.00.00pm GMT Mon 8th Mar 2010

Reacting to the European Court of Human Rights' ruling that the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) in North Cyprus is a valid forum for settlement of property claims from Greek Cypriot 1974 refugees, Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and London MEP Sarah Ludford said:

"The Strasbourg court's endorsement of the IPC in north Cyprus as an 'accessible and effective framework of redress' for claims to restitution or compensation is welcome and constructive. I hope that this will give confidence to Greek Cypriots to use the channel of the IPC instead of going down the legally contentious 'Orams case' route of seeking to enforce Republic of Cyprus property judgements in UK or other EU courts."

"The Cyprus property issue will only be fully resolved in a comprehensive settlement. But in the meantime, the Court of Human Rights judgement giving the European legal seal of approval to the IPC justifies the hard work that the North Cyprus authorities have put into it. Turkish Cypriot refugees deserve the same fair and speedy remedy in the Republic of Cyprus."

"Instead of legal action outside the island, the European Court of Human Rights has shown that Cypriot solutions to Cypriot issues are the way forward. Its approach is therefore preferable to that of the EU court, the European Court of Justice, which has by its unhelpful ruling of May 2009 in the Orams/Apostolides case spawned international litigation which is as expensive as it is controversial."

ENDS