Greek Cypriots to go to Europe court over Turkish actor's remarks

A case would be filed at the ECHR against Turkey to clarify the fate of citizens that went missing during the 1974 military operation, government spokesman Stephanos Stephanou said.Â

 

"It was decided to take the missing persons' issue to the Permanent Members of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and at the same time to the European Court of Human Rights," Reuters quoted Stephanou as telling a news conference.

 

The move comes after Turkish actor, Atilla Olgac, said last week that while serving in the Turkish army during the 1974 military operation, he shot dead 10 Greek Cypriots, including a prisoner of war. Although he later retracted his statement saying he made it up, the actor was widely criticized in the Turkish media.

 

Turkey launched a military operation on Cyprus in 1974 using its rights under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee in response to an Athens-backed coup aiming at union with Greece. Hundreds of Greek and Turkish Cypriots vanished during the clashes in the early 1960s and ‘70s.

 

"There are ECHR decisions that outline Turkey’s obligations to help determine the fate of those missing and we are taking this step to point out Turkey’s failure to comply," Stephanou said.

 

"Turkey must cooperate to determine under which conditions people disappeared; this is something Turkey has not done," he was quoted by AFP as saying.

 

Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias held a high level meeting on Tuesday to discuss Olgac's statements, the agency added.

 

"This is the first direct admission that this person has killed a soldier. There are many other witness accounts that point in this direction. Now this specific information from Attila will be used," AFP quoted Greek Cyprus Attorney-General Petros Clerides as saying.

 

The U.N.-backed Committee for Missing Persons began a landmark bi-communal initiative in August 2006 to locate multiple graves, via an exchange of information, on either side of the U.N.-patrolled ceasefire line on the island, which has been divided since 1964 when Turkish Cypriots were forced to withdraw into enclaves.

 

To date, the remains of over 460 individuals have been exhumed, of whom 108 have been identified through DNA sampling and returned to their families for burial.