New Property Lawsuit Against Turkey

A new property lawsuit has been lodged against Turkey through the Cyprus courts by two Cypriot lawyers representing the Shacolas Group, according to state broadcaster RIK.

The case concerns property worth multiple millions of euros in the north of the country which is occupied by Turkish troops and is the first time that a lawsuit has been lodged directly against Turkey through the Cyprus district court system. The suit accuses Turkey of restricting the group's ability to use the property which belonged to it before the 1974 invasion by Turkey and is located in Nicosia, Kyrenia and Famagusta. It also claims exclusive rights to the property.

Although Turkey does not have an embassy in Cyprus, the lawsuit papers will be served through another EU country where there is an embassy. The lawsuit is being undertaken by lawyers Achilleas Demetriades and Andreas Triantafyllides.

Recently, the European Court of Human Rights rejected eight cases against Turkey brought by Greek-Cypriot refugees whose land had been usurped or forcibly abandoned after the war in 1974. The court ruled that property cases must first go through the Immovable Property Commission which is managed by the Turkish-Cypriot side.