Greece has to pay a reimbursement to Turks in Western Thrace

The European Court for Human Rights has ruled that Greece has to pay a reimbursement to 10 Turks in Western Thrace, because of expropriation.

The Court declared today that Greece has to pay 1.660.000 Euros, including the costs of the action, to 10 families, whose olive gardens had been occupied in 1925 and expropriated in 1933.

Greece had occupied land in the area of Halkidiki for the Turks who had immigrated from Anatolia and then expropriated the land again. The applications of the Turks who had suffered heavily, remained solutionless until now.

On 06.12.2001 the Court came to the conclusion that Greece had violated §6 of “Equality in Judgement” and §1 of “Private Property” of the Human Rights Agreement.

The Court called both parties to reach an agreement about the reimbursement after having ruled the infringement.

Diplomatic sources showed that the Court had ordered Greece according to §41 of the Human Rights Agreement, to pay the agreed sum after the parties couldn’t reach an agreement about the payment.

The persons that will get the reimbursement from Greece are: Fatma Ayten Yaðcýlar, Mustafa Aykut Yaðcýlar, Yakut Yaðcýlar,Nermin Baykal, Bahadýr Atik, Feriha Neriman Atik, Alan Osman, Mukaddes Saraçoðlu, Rikkat Karaoðlu, Kenan Hacýosmanoðlu.

Diplomatic sources of the Court pointed to the importance of this case and explained that this case would be an example for the further applications of the Turks in Western Thrace.