Supreme court rejects appeal from Greek Cypriots regarding compensation for properties in Kyrenia

The Supreme Court of Cyprus has unanimously rejected an application by two Greek Cypriots seeking leave to appeal a decision made by the Court of Appeal. This legal challenge concerned the reversal of a 2019 lower court judgment that had initially awarded the applicants compensation for the loss of use and development of their properties in occupied Kyrenia.

In September 2019, the Kyrenia District Court had awarded the first applicant €33,440 and the second applicant €38,300 in damages. However, the Court of Appeal later overturned this ruling, citing the principle of state immunity, which effectively protected Turkey from being held liable in this civil context. The Supreme Court chose not to evaluate the merits of the state immunity defense or the correctness of the appellate ruling; instead, it dismissed the application on procedural grounds, stating that the claimants failed to fulfill the legislative requirements for such an appeal and that the process could not be used to launch a new appeal against the appellate court's final decision.

This decision concludes the current stage of legal proceedings, leaving the initial compensation awards voided due to the appellate court's intervention.