Press Releases

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes note of yesterday’s decision of the Committee of Ministers' Deputies of the Council of Europe according to which the Committee preserves the monitoring of the implementation of the ECtHR Decision as regards the Fourth Inter-State Case Cyprus v. Turkey (Missing Persons) + Varnava and others v. Turkey.

In this decision, the Committee of Ministers' Deputies of the Council of Europe records the importance of humanitarian issues related to the missing persons aspect in Cyprus. The Committee calls on Turkey to ensure that the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP) has unhindered access to all areas where missing persons' remains might be found and to provide the CMP with all relevant information regarding possible burial sites.

Turkey is invited to submit to the Committee of Deputies updated information as regards its assistance to the CMP and its work for investigations of the circumstances under which the missing persons died.

Furthermore, the Committee of Deputies deplores Turkey's failure to respond to its unconditional obligation to pay the sum for the damages awarded against it by the ECHR in the cases of Cyprus v. Turkey and Varnava and others v. Turkey. The Committee urged Turkey to proceed with the above-mentioned payment of just satisfaction, without further delay.

The decision of the Committee of Ministers' Deputies confirms that Turkey must take all necessary measures to implement the above-mentioned decisions, according to which it has been held responsible for the ongoing human rights’ violations and for the suffering it has caused to the relatives of the missing persons as a result of the invasion and continued occupation of Cyprus.

(MF/AP/ECHR)