Cyprus-Forum.com

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http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news- ... -case.html

European court to deliver ruling on missing Greek Cypriots case
The highest body of the European Court of Human Rights will issue on Friday its judgment in a missing persons case of several Greek Cypriots -- a judgment which may set a precedent in similar cases opened against Turkey.

In January 2008, the European court ruled against Turkey in a case that originated with nine claims against Turkey lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights in January 1990.

The applicants are family members of 18 Greek Cypriot nationals who have been missing since 1974.

Upon an official appeal by the Turkish government, a six-judge chamber had decided that the case to be referred to the 17-member Grand Chamber, whose judgments are final.

During a hearing at the Grand Chamber held in November 2008, Turkey's lawyer had argued that it was not possible to blame Turkish authorities for failing to conduct a “retrospective” investigation.

In its January 2008 ruling, the court had held that there had been a continuing violation of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) -- which says that everyone's right to life shall be protected by law -- on account of the failure of Turkish authorities to conduct an effective investigation into the whereabouts and fate of Greek Cypriot missing persons who disappeared under life-threatening circumstances. At the time, the court had also ruled that there had been a continuing violation of Article 5 of the convention -- which says that everyone has the right to liberty and security of person -- by virtue of the failure of Turkish authorities to conduct an effective investigation into the whereabouts and fate of the Greek Cypriot missing persons.

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Turkey has been found guilty. Here is the Turkish Foreign ministries response, LOL:


The Turkish Foreign Ministry on the ECHR ruling on the Varnava case
Ankara Anatolia news agency (18.09.09) reported the following from Ankara:
“The Spokesman of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) responded to a question on the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Varnava case which was announced today (Friday).

‘The ECHR has today found Turkey responsible and awarded compensation in Varnava and others case, lodged by the relatives of the nine Greek Cypriots who are deemed missing since the 1974 Peace Operation. It is evident that the ECHR failed to take Turkish views into consideration in this case. The same Court, however, had found inadmissible the similar applications lodged by the relatives of Turkish Cypriots missing persons against the Greek Cypriot administration, without even communicating them to the respondent party. Therefore, this judgment is incoherent with its previous decisions on the issue of missing persons in Cyprus,’ said the Spokesman.

‘Turkey expects the ECHR to be coherent in its judgments," the Spokesman also said.”