Vol. 538 No. 3
94 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's position in relation to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights delivered at Strasbourg in the case of Cyprus v. Turkey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17803/01]
The case relates to the situation in northern Cyprus since the invasion of that territory by Turkey in 1974 and the continuing division of the island of Cyprus. The issue at stake was the accountability of Turkey for violations of the European Convention on Human Rights occurring in northern Cyprus. Cyprus contended that, notwithstanding the establishment of the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in November 1983, Turkey remained accountable under the convention on the grounds that the TRNC was an illegal entity and is not recognised by the international community. Turkey maintains that the TRNC is a democratic and constitutional state and is politically independent of all other states, including Turkey, and that allegations of human rights abuses made by Cyprus were imputable exclusively to the TRNC.
The application by Cyprus was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights in 1994 and was declared admissible on 28 June 1996. In June 1999, the commission reported that there was no basis on which a friendly settlement of the issues could be secured and referred the matter to the court in September 1999.
In a judgment delivered in Strasbourg on 10 May 2001, the court held, by 16 votes to one, that the matters complained of by Cyprus in its application entailed Turkey's responsibility under the European Convention on Human Rights. In all, the court held that there had been 14 violations of the convention. Details of the very lengthy decision can be found on the court's internet website – ttp://www.echr.coe.int.
The policy of the Government with regard to the Cyprus problem is not affected by the decision of the court, which is binding on the parties concerned. Ireland recognises the Government of the Republic of Cyprus as the sole and legitimate Government of the island of Cyprus. We believe that this decision, which is consistent with previous decisions of the court in relation to the status of Cyprus, re-emphasises the need for a resolution of the problem of Cyprus. In this regard, Ireland supports the efforts of the UN Secretary General in the search for a political solution based on a bicommunal, bizonal and federal approach.
Question No. 95 answered with Question No. 88.
