“The ECHR decision showed that the attempts to arrest Gyneis are illegal,” — Prime Minister Ünal Üstel

Prime Minister Ünal Üstel commented on the KV Mediterranean Tours Limited decision issued by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on June 10, 2025.

The Prime Minister noted that the ECHR once again confirmed that the Immovable Property Commission (IMC) is the only domestic legal system to which Greek Cypriots can apply.

“This decision once again showed that these attempts are illegal,” he said, referring to arrests made by the Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus.

Üstel also stated that payments made by the government, especially in recent years, were recognized as effective in the ECHR decision.

Full statement of Prime Minister Üstel:

“By its decision in the case of KV Mediterranean Tours Limited, announced on June 10, 2025, the ECHR once again confirmed that the Immovable Property Commission (IMC) is an effective domestic remedy that must be exhausted regarding claims by Greek Cypriots concerning immovable property left in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

The ECHR emphasized that the return of immovable property left by Greek Cypriots in the TRNC is not the only solution and that compensation or exchange decisions made by the Cyprus Commission are as lawful a form of compensation as return.

If a decision different from return can be made, especially regarding property located in Kapalı Maraş, this decision will be a turning point for our property regime.

Previously, we stated that the jurisdiction of the TRNC also extends to closed Maraş.

Moreover, the Foundations Administration was also a party to Greek claims in closed Maraş.

In this case, the applicant claimed that the Greek Cypriot Foundations Administration cannot be a party.

However, the court ruled that the TRNC decision making the Foundations Administration an intervening party in the process concerning immovable property in Kapalı Maraş would not violate the principle of a fair trial.

In this decision, the ECHR added that payments made by the TRNC are satisfactory and that it sees benefit in continuing these payments on a stable basis.

The effectiveness of the TRNC largely depends on the payments made. During our administration, a serious fund was created in this regard.

If we had not made these payments to the TRNC today, the decision in our favor might not have been made.

To date, £350,850,000 has been paid to Greek citizens.

Thanks to the created fund, payments amounting to £106,374,000 were made only in 2024–2025, and 230 cases were completed.

In other words, payments equivalent to nearly one-third of all payments made last year were made.

The court's positive assessment of this increase and stabilization of payments is a positive event for us.

The Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus will continue to do everything possible to undermine the effectiveness of the Immovable Property Commission (IMC) established by Law No. 67/2005. However, we will continue to remain within international law.

The ECHR once again pointed to the TRNC as an effective domestic remedy. This decision is a message from the ECHR to Southern Cyprus regarding arrests. The only legal remedy Greek Cypriots can turn to is the TRNC. The other alternative is to wait for a political solution on the island.”