Mr Hakan Shonia

Research project: A Study on the Immovable Property Commission in Cyprus As a Mechanism of Reconciliation

Abstract

My research aims to evaluate the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) in north Cyprus from different aspects. IPC is a government institution formed following the rulings of the ECtHR Decisions. Cyprus is a divided island with the de-facto self-proclaimed Turkish Cypriot state in the north and the Republic of Cyprus, governing the southern part of the island. With the inter-communal strife 1963-1974, the two major communities were divided into two, the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. Since the Turkish military intervention in 1974, it is estimated that half of the population had been displaced and the division on the island became permanent, leading to an anomaly of two administrations ruling territories with immovable properties belonging to the citizens of the others. since the inception of the inter-communal talks between the two communities, property is regarded as the most problematic and complex issue and it is believed that this is the core, the key to a successful solution and the reunification of the island. The Greek Cypriot properties located under Turkish rule had led to thousands of applications to the ECtHR and in 2005 the Turkish Cypriot state formed the IPC to serve as a domestic legal institution that would provide remedies for the displaced. My research will evaluate the IPC and its effectiveness through the lens of transitional justice mechanisms.