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European Court Finds Against Turkey
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Europe's top human rights court ruled Thursday that Turkey has repeatedly violated human rights during its 27-year occupation of northern Cyprus.
In a case brought by the Cypriot government, the European Court of Human Rights' panel of judges voted that Turkey was guilty of 14 violations of its human rights convention.
The court, based in Strasbourg, France, said Turkey was responsible for the violations because it, ``exercised effective overall control of northern Cyprus through its military presence there.''
The Turkish government had argued it does not have jurisdiction over northern Cyprus, claiming responsibility lies with the Turkish-Cypriot administration, which is not recognized by any other nation apart from Turkey.
Turkish troops invaded Cyprus in 1974 after an abortive coup on the island by Greek Cypriots supporting union with Greece. In the wake of the invasion, 180,000 Greek Cypriots fled or were expelled from the north where Turkey maintains 35,000 troops in support of the local Turkish government.
Complaints upheld against Turkey included failing to investigate the disappearance of Greek Cypriots after the 1974 invasion; inhuman treatment of the families of missing Greek Cypriots; denying Greek Cypriots the right to return to their homes; failure to compensate for loss of property; interference with freedom of religion; restrictions on education and discrimination against Greek Cypriots living in the Karpas Peninsula in the Turkish-controlled North.
``Conditions under which the population (of Karpas) was condemned to live were debasing and violated the very notion of respect for the human dignity of its members,'' the court said in a statement.
However, the court rejected Cypriot claims that Turkey violated other clauses in the European Convention on Human Rights, including those relating to slavery, forced labor, and freedom of assembly.
There was no immediate reaction from the Turkish government, but Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot Republic condemned the court ruling.
``This is a disturbing example of Europe's understanding of justice,'' Ertugruloglu told private CNN-Turk television. ``It is shamefully trying to place Turkey in the electric chair ... Turkey has done nothing to be ashamed of in Cyprus.''
The Cyprus government and Greek Cypriot political parties hailed the court's ruling as a triumph.
``This is a major victory for Cyprus,'' Attorney-General Alecos Markides, told Cyprus radio from Strasbourg. ``Cyprus has won the battle on substantial points and has proved that the country responsible for what is happening in the occupied area of Cyprus is Turkey.''
The ruling is binding on Turkey, which should now present proposals to other members of the 43-nation Council of Europe outlining how it intends to correct rights violations in Cyprus.
However, it was unclear how Turkey would react. Since 1998, Turkey has refused to comply with another binding European court ruling which ordered the payment of $611,000 damages to a Greek Cypriot woman driven from her home after the invasion.
The Cyprus issue and its human rights record are major hindrances to
Turkey's bid for membership of the 15-nation European Union.
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