Turkey has one week to pay up

TURKEY has exactly one more week to comply with the European Court of Human Rights’ decision in the Titina Loizidou case.

On October 28, one week from today, Turkey is obliged to pay up the amount Europe has ruled as compensation to refugee Loizidou for denial of access to her property in Kyrenia.

The European Court has ruled that Turkey should pay Loizidou £300,000 in pecuniary damages and a further £20,000 in moral damages.

The ruling has been hailed as a “landmark decision” in Cyprus, but has been described as “unfortunate” by Turkey.

There is no precedent of a member state failing to comply with a Court decision, but Turkey has tried to divert the discussion to an earlier decision by the European Commission on Human Rights, which is contrary to the court’s decision.

Ankara also claims it has no responsibility for the so-called ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’, saying the Court should address its complaints to the unrecognised authorities in the occupied areas.

But the court ruling makes quite clear that it holds Ankara responsible for matters in the occupied areas, whose authorities it describes as a “subordinated local administration.”

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.