Türkiye has voiced concern over what it called the politicization of the European human rights system after a Council of Europe meeting again addressed a property rights issue linked to displaced persons in Cyprus.
“Türkiye is deeply concerned over the erosion of the European Convention on Human Rights system due to political motives,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Öncü Keçeli said in a statement on X on June 12.
Keçeli said the “property rights of displaced persons” section of the European Court of Human Rights’ 2001 “Fourth Greek Cypriot” judgment was discussed at the 1563rd human rights meeting of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, held in Strasbourg on June 9-11.
He said the section could not be closed despite what he described as the Council of Europe Secretariat’s recommendation since 2022 that supervision of its implementation be ended.
Keçeli also said the meeting tasked the Secretariat, under what he called an exceptional procedure, with preparing a draft study on the interpretation of property-related wording in the court’s 2014 just satisfaction judgment.
He described the developments as “unprecedented” in the work of the Committee of Ministers’ Deputies.
Keçeli said they were the result of Greek Cypriot efforts to politicize the European Convention on Human Rights system in line with their own objectives.
He argued that the Greek Cypriot side had obstructed the effective functioning of the convention system and had again shown a lack of sincerity on a Cyprus settlement.
Türkiye will continue to follow the matter closely in consultation with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Keçeli said.
