Missing Presumed Alive: The 1619 Missing Persons - Part 1/2

CoE Ministers urge Turkey implement Rights Court judgements without delay

By Angelos Marcopoulos, Cyprus Weekly 7/4/2007

STRASBOURG

TURKEY must implement the judgements of the European Human Rights Court ordering it to restore the usurped properties of the Greek Cypriot refugees from the Turkish-occupied north without further delay, the Ministerial Committee of the Council of Europe ruled yesterday.

Turkey was warned that its obligation to comply with the Court's judgements "entails an obligation to adopt measures to put an end to the violation found, to erase, as far as possible, their consequences and to prevent new violations similar to those found.''

It added that the need to adopt such measures in this case, is all the more pressing in view of the time elapsed since the Court's ruling six years ago.

The CoE Ministers also warned that "a continuation of Turkey's failure to implement the Court's judgements would amount to a manifest breach of Turkey's obligations under Article 46-1 of the (European) Convention on Human Rights.'"

The Foreign Ministers from the 45 CoE member states also formally "urged the Turkish authorities to provide detailed and concrete information on changes and transfers of Property at issue in (Rights Court) judgement...and on measures to safeguard the property rights of displaced Greek Cypriots recognised by the Court."

The ministers also expressed "concern" that despite "regular requests" from the CoE for Turkey to act, "Turkey's response does not yet clarify the issue," and formally urged Turkey ``to act now without delay."

Ankara also criticised over Greek Cypriot missing

TURKEY was also strongly criticised by the CoE Ministers over its failure to conduct an effective investigation into the fate of the hundreds of Greek Cypriots who are still listed as missing in the wake of the Turkish invasion and occupation of north Cyprus.

The Ministers pointed out that, as far back as 2001, the Rights Court noted "the continuing absence of effective investigation into the fate of the missing Greek Cypriots," and "the silence of the Turkish authorities in the face of the real concerns of the Relatives," that the Rights Court described as "Inhuman and Degrading Treatment."

The CoE Resolution expressed "regret'' that in the two years "since the adoption of a first interim resolution in this case Turkey has furnished no information in this respect."

The resolution further called on Turkey: "To rapidly provide information on additional measures required to ensure the effective investigation called for by the (European) Court's Judgement."

"To ensure full compliance with the ECHR's Judgement,'' and thats such an investigation must be "aimed at clarifying the whareabouts and fate of the Greek Cypriot missing persons, including those of whom there is an arguable claim that they were in custody when they disappeared."

The resolution noted that for this purpose, the Rights Court found that the procedures of the UN Cyprus Missing Persons (CMP) Committee "are not sufficient to meet the standard of an effective investigation, .especially in view of the narrow scope of that body's investigations and its territorial jurisdiction, which is limited to the island of Cyprus." :

It added that the CMP has only a mandate to draw up a list of missing persons... to determine whether they are alive or dead, and, in the latter case, to determined the date of their deaths." But "effective investigations", according to ECHR's case-law, "should also deal with the causes of the disappearances and the circumstances in which they occured,'' something that is excluded from the CMP's present mandate ", denounces a recent CoE's Study. The need to conduct investigations in Turkey cannot be contested by Ankara's persisting claims which had already been advanced to ECHR, but rejected.

The resolution noted Cyprus' demand that Turkey must provide "military reports and records prepared by the Turkish Army on lists and total number of Greek Cypriot prisoners who were transported to Turkey, detained in Turkish prisons, or transferred to Turkish hospitals.''

The CoE resolution welcomed the progress achieved on the exhumation and identification of remains.

Dealing with the Greek Cypriot ``enclaved'' in the occupied north, the resolution noted that among the issues which "remain outstanding regarding further aspects of the living conditions'' of these Greek Cypriots ``are notably those related to their property rights and their right to effective remedies.''

It said that in view of the continuing situation, the CoE Committee ``will not close its examination of the violations established in relation to the issues of education and freedom of religion."

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Category:

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Tags:

• Cyprus
• Missing
• Persons
• Turkey
• Rauf
• Denktash
• Glafkos
• Clerides
• Occupied
• Occupation
• 1974
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[Composmentis1]

Moreover, ethnic Macedonians are discriminated against by the government's failure to permit the teaching of the macedonian language. And ethnic macedonians, particularly rights activists, are harassed by the government- followed and threatened by the security forces - and subjected to economic and social pressure resulting from this harassment.

[djagamemnon]

Ethnic Macedonians are Greeks and always have been Greeks. The people who live in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Vardarska are Bulgarian Slavs as admitted by your own president.

[sirmione1]

Angastiniotis' 30-minute film, titled The Voice of Blood, gives a detailed ac­count of how dozens of Turk­ish Cypriot women and children of the three villages were killed and thrown into mass graves by Greek Cypri­ots from neighbouring vil­lages in the period between the two Turkish invasions in 1974. It includes extensive footage and interviews with survivors of the attacks.

[djagamemnon]

The fact is that there is not one shred of physical evanescence for any of these ridiculous claims. The only thing that real facts show is that Turkish Cypriot terrorists who supported the Turkish invasion forces and were attacking Greek Cypriots villages and perpetrating mass atrocities for which Turkey has been found guilty of by the ECHR were killed in self defence by the Greek Cypriots and their bodies buried so they wouldn't spread disease.

[djagamemnon]

The remains which have been dug up are not of women and children, but of men who when recently returned to their families were buried with MILITARY HONOURS proving that they were terrorist fighters. So cut the lies and propaganda. Who was it that invaded Cyprus? The Turks not the Greeks.

[MrJohnKevinStanley]

Come on ArgeadsRevenge...what u know about history of cyprus?..u asshole...all u no is that turkey was invasing the island...what about all those massacres since 1963-1974 that Grivas,Samson and Makarios did...That was right,but when Turkey used his rights in Warranty Aggreement and interference to island,this is invaison...FUck you...how can u make me sure that u wont go further if turkey goes back....fuckin politics...nothin more...ur ENOSIS plan..damn HELLAS...

[ifuckallturksgirls]

CYPRUS IS GREEK

[pushups2345]

@papillonaquatique i'm not sure - i can only find the name of the fifth american citizen, Andreas Kasapis, who's remains were identified in 1998

[papillonaquatique]

@pushups2345 What are the names of the four missing Americans?

[kyriacos40]

I want greek and turkish people to be friends, but after seeing this how can anyone trust your culture this happened in the 70s this is not to long ago.I also like to mention the genocide of the armenians. I dont know if thier is a god but is thier is he will judge the evil you have comited to hummanity.I say greeks can never trust you until you prove your selves, but still greek society still have to keep one eye open even when they sleep at nite.

[kyriacos40]

evil bastards what is thier excus for theses defenseless captured people who disapeared and proof that they were captured alive.I say no excuse you make us greeks the evil ones how can greeks and cypriot greeks ever trust your society with this evidience.How can greek cypriots have closure even if you killed them they have the rite to know

[mhpbahadir1985]

yeahhh

we kicked ass

jesus kiss my ass

[pushups2345]

there are still 4 americans missing to

[theosbabe]

How do u know it was not his home? IT WAS HIS HOUSE, WE HAVE THE DEEDS THAT SAY EVERYTHING NOT U!

[irenoush]

kemal was the one known as gay so u better shut the fuck up

[elzbelz08]

few have been found,very few.this mongoloid term-no need for it

[elzbelz08]

So what about the Berbers then? they aren't european?the word 'berber' means barbarian. I think the word derives from greek 'barbaros' meaning anyone who isn't Greek so kinda throws your definition out the window! if we follow your definition then im sure all ppls ofhe world were once 'barbarians'.Usually described as uncivilised and godless well ...