The background to the formation of the Immovable Property Commission, or IPC,
lies in the effective partition of the island of Cyprus since 1974, when Turkey
invaded the island in order to protect Turkish Cypriots from armed assaults by
Greek Cypriots who were pressing for union with Greece.The partition of Cyprus
initially created a refugee problem as Turkish Cypriots moved to the north, and
Greek Cypriots moved to the south. Both communities abandoned land and property
as a result of the conflicthttp://www.worldutopian.com/The Greek
Cypriot cause was given a boost in 2004, when Cyprus joined the European Union.
This was a contentious decision as the EU recognised the Greek Cypriot
administration of South Cyprus as the sole legitimate government of the entire
island. The Turkish Cypriot administration of North Cyprus was denied any
official recognition.There were several high profile cases where dispossessed
Greek Cypriots who had lost land in the north applied to the European Court of
Human Rights for compensation. The ECHR made rulings in favour of several
applicants, including Myra Xenides-Arestis in 2006 and the landmark case of
Titina Loizidou in 1996.The formation of the Immovable Property Commission was a
response by the North Cyprus administration to the plight of dispossessed Greek
Cypriots.
The Commission accepted applications from Greek Cypriots who had lost land in
North Cyprus after the partition of the island in 1974. The aim was to make
available a local solution to the problem, and avoid the costs of defending
claims in the European Court of Human Rights and also to stop the adverse
publicity and financial cost of awards made by the Court to Greek Cypriots.The
formation of the Immovable Property body has been judged a success by both
Turkey and the North Cyprus administration. This is because louis vuitton bags uk European Court of
Human Rights ruled in 2010 that the Commission provided an effective domestic
remedy. This ruling was made in the Takis Demopoulos case. The ruling
effectively placed in limbo a large number of applications which were pending at
the European Court of Human Rights. The outcome meant that all dispossessed
Greek Cypriots would be required to make application to the Property Commission
rather than the European Court of Human Rights.The ruling was not welcomed by
the Greek Cypriot government as it conferred a degree of international
recognition on the Turkish Cypriot administration of North Cyprus and the
IPC.
Greek Cypriot politicians have, on the whole, advised voters against making
applications to the Property Commission and, by implication, recognising the
authority of the IPC to adjudicate on land claims in North Cyprus.According to
the Property Commission website, a total of 1,296 applications have been filed
with the commission. Some 250 cases have been dealt with and decisions made. Of
those, 68 applications were revoked and two rejected. Therefore, some 168
applications have been successful, and compensation has been granted in return
for giving up their property rights in the north. The Property Commission has to
date awarded around louis vuitton
handbags uk store million Pounds
Sterling to applicants.Now that the final date for applications to the Property
Commission draws near, Greek citizens, or their parents, who abandoned property
and land in North Cyprus in 1974, face a difficult choice. If they apply for
compensation from the Property Commission, they may receive a payment for the
lost land, but could incur sanctions from the Greek Cypriot
government.Alternatively, they can await a political settlement to the problem
of the divided island. However, as the two sides have been in acrimonious
negotiations concerning a united island of Cyprus for over 30 years, one cannot
expect that a settlement will be reached in the near future.Therefore, it is
likely that there will be a rush of applications to the North Cyprus Property
Commission before 21 December 2011.
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