Türkiye voices concern over ‘politicization’ of European human rights system

Türkiye on Friday voiced concern over what it described as the politicization of the European human rights system after a Council of Europe meeting again addressed a property rights issue related to displaced persons in Cyprus.

“Türkiye is deeply concerned over the erosion of the European Convention on Human Rights system due to political motives,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said in a statement on the US social media platform X.

Keceli said the “property rights of displaced persons” section of the European Court of Human Rights’ 2001 “Fourth Greek Cypriot” judgment was discussed again at the 1563rd human rights meeting of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, held in Strasbourg on June 9-11.

He said the section could not be closed despite the Council of Europe Secretariat having recommended since 2022 that supervision of its implementation be ended.

Keceli said the meeting also tasked the Council of Europe Secretariat, under an exceptional procedure designed for cases in which implementation of an ECHR ruling is not possible because of differing interpretations, with preparing a draft study on the interpretation of property-related wording in the court’s 2014 just satisfaction judgment.

Calling the developments “unprecedented” in the history of the Committee of Ministers’ Deputies’ work, Keceli said they were the result of the Greek Cypriot side’s efforts to politicize the European Convention on Human Rights system in line with its own objectives.

He said the Greek Cypriot side had chosen to obstruct the effective functioning of the convention system and had once again demonstrated a lack of sincerity regarding a settlement of the Cyprus issue.

Türkiye will continue to closely follow the matter in consultation with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, he added.