Cypriot refugees
Cypriot refugees are the
1963–74 background
Tension began in 1963 when Makarios proposed
Post–1974
It is estimated that 40% of the Greek population of
On August 2, 1975, the two parties reached in Vienna the Voluntary Exchange of Population Agreement, implemented under United Nations auspices. In accordance with this Agreement, Turkish Cypriots remaining in the south moved to the North and Greek Cypriots remaining in the north moved to the south with the exception of a few hundred Greek Cypriots who chose to reside in the north.[4] After that, the separation of the two communities via the UN-patrolled Green Line prohibited the return of all internally displaced people.
Through the years, multiple
In 1990, applications filed with the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of 18 Greek Cypriots in the case of Varnava and Others v. Turkey, resulted in a decision on 18 September 2009 which ordered Turkey to pay €12,000 within three months to every applicant for non-pecuniary damages and €8,000 for costs and expenses.[6][7]
In 1999, UNHCR halted its assistance activities for internally displaced persons in Cyprus.[8]
Neither the Greek Cypriot or Turkish Cypriot displaced populations are considered to be in any need of humanitarian aid. The Greek Cypriot government instituted a program of housing and aid for the displaced. This housing programme was giving Turkish Cypriot refugee properties to the displaced Greek Cypriots. They were also benefitting from the boom in tourism across the south of the island.
Turkish Cypriot relief came mainly in the form of economic aid from Turkey as well as the allocation of formerly Greek Cypriot owned houses and property. Both sides had the same housing programme, taking use of the abandoned properties.[3]
In April 2003, the Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktaş opened the border crossing for the first time since the island was divided, allowing both Greek and Turkish Cypriots to view their property for the first time since the separation of the two communities. Crossing procedures have since been relaxed allowing Cypriots from both communities to move relatively freely across the island.
It was hoped that Cyprus's accession to the European Union would provide an impetus for reunification of the island and, in 2004, the UN-backed
Legal action
Toumazou et al. v. Republic of Turkey et al.
In October 2009, a lawsuit was brought against the TRNC Representative Offices and
Legal status of the displaced Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots
The displaced Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots fell under the UN definition of "internally displaced persons". The government of USA considers Greek Cypriots displaced as a result of the 1974 division of the island to be "refugees".[11]
See also
- Loizidou v. Turkey a landmark refugee legal case
- Greco-Turkish relations
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representation in Cyprus
References
- ^ Christofias vetoes costly refugee law TheFreeLibrary.com
- ^ Governmentand Politic
- ^ a b "Cyprus: failure of political settlement prevents the displaced from repossessing their properties". International Displacement Monitoring Centre. April 2005. Archived from the original on 12 August 2007. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
- ^ "IDMC | Cyprus: Global IDP Figures". www.internal-displacement.org. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008.
- ^ Williams Jr, Nick B. (20 March 1989). "Greek Cypriot Women, Turkish Police Scuffle : 3,000 Cross Border, Protest Island's Division; 9 Hurt, 50 Reported Arrested" – via LA Times.
- ^ "European Court of Human Rights: Decision Against Turkey in Missing Persons Case Dating to 1974 Conflict with Cyprus". Library of Congress.
- ^ "Case of Varnava and Others v. TURKEY (Applications nos. 16064/90, 16065/90, 16066/90, 16068/90, 16069/90, 16070/90, 16071/90, 16072/90 and 16073/90)".
- ^ UNHCR Archived 2014-03-27 at the Wayback Machine UNHCR stopped help to displaced persons in Cyprus
- ^ Abbott, Ryan (13 October 2014). "Property Spat Over Turk- Controlled Cyprus Fails". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
- ^ "TOUMAZOU et al v. REPUBLIC OF TURKEY et al". Justia. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
- ^ "State Department issues Human Rights Report on Cyprus". philenews. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
External links
- Map of Cyprus populational "redistribution" between 1960 and 1974
- U.N., U.S. fault Turkey for Greek Cypriot deaths
- UN Press Briefing in response to the recent killings of two Greek Cypriot
- Associated Press: Greek prime minister warns Turkish troops on Cyprus
- Associated Press: Greek leader to visit Cyprus amid tension over killings
- Police account of anti-occupation
- Demonstrations for missing persons Archived 16 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- The Loizidou case
- Women of Cyprus Demonstrations