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Türkiye has characterized a European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruling as a "timely response" to what it calls "politically motivated arrests" by Greek Cypriot authorities targeting individuals engaged in legal activities under Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) property regulations.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oncu Keceli announced that the "K.V. Mediterranean Tours Limited v. Türkiye" judgment, released on June 10, 2025, would be examined thoroughly while emphasizing the court's reaffirmation of the Immovable Property Commission's effectiveness.
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The case centers on property rights related to a building complex owned by K.V. Mediterranean Tours Limited, a Cypriot company established in 1967.
The company abandoned its property in the Maras area following Türkiye's 1974 military intervention on the island as a guarantor power and later applied to the Immovable Property Commission in 2010 seeking compensation and restitution.
"We consider this latest judgment a timely response to the politically motivated arrests carried out by the Greek Cypriot Administration against the TRNC and third-country nationals engaged in legal activities under the TRNC's property regime," Keceli stated.
The spokesperson characterized the ruling as "a lesson in the face of ongoing efforts to spread fear and intimidation, undermine the economic welfare of the Turkish Cypriot people, and disregard international law."
Keceli emphasized that Türkiye "shares and supports the views expressed in the statements made by the TRNC authorities on this issue," underscoring the alignment between Ankara and the Turkish Cyprus administration on property rights matters.
TRNC President Ersin Tatar welcomed the ECtHR decision on Wednesday in an official statement, stating that it recognized the commission's effectiveness in handling property disputes.
Tatar stressed that the judgement serves not only as a legal decision but also as a powerful warning against the oppressive and exclusionary policies long pursued by the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and the Greek Cypriot Administration.
"This judgment illustrates how these policies have failed and lost credibility. The message is clear: It is not possible to reach a solution by ignoring the Turkish Cypriot side and placing our people under a blockade," President Tatar said.
"This decision in actual fact reaffirms the righteousness of our long-standing legal and political struggle. This is not the first such judgement by the ECtHR, which has endorsed the IPC’s existence, functionality and jurisdiction. It has been consistently upheld by the ECtHR. What is, however, new in this judgement, is that the Greek Cypriot side’s efforts to ignore this legal body have once again been rejected at the international level," he added.
"This ruling clearly shows that such strategies have collapsed and lost credibility. This is not just a court decision; it is a clear warning: A solution cannot be achieved by ignoring the Turkish Cypriot People or placing them under a blockade," Tatar said, noting the broader political implications of the ruling.
"A self-reliant Turkish Cypriot people is what most threatens and unsettles the Greek Cypriot leadership. That is why they target our economy and institutions—because our self-sufficiency disrupts their agenda. But we will persevere. Our struggle against injustice will continue," he added.
"Our vision for a settlement is clear: Two separate peoples, two separate democracies, and two sovereign States exist on the Island of Cyprus. This is a historical, geographical, political, and legal fact," Tatar said.
"Any future settlement must be based on sovereign equality and equal international status," Tatar concluded.
The island of Cyprus has been divided since 1974, following ethnic attacks in the early 1960s that forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.
Türkiye's military intervention came in response to a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at the island's annexation by Greece.
The TRNC was subsequently founded in 1983, though it remains recognized only by Türkiye. The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the European Union in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots rejected a U.N. reunification plan that Turkish Cypriots had accepted.
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