Human rights court orders Turkey to pay 5 mln euros to Greek siblings
The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday ruled that the Turkish government must pay damages worth 5 million euros to two Greek brothers, Yiannis and Vangelis Fokas, who had been prohibited by Turkish authorities from claiming ownership of a property in the neighboring country that they had inherited from their sister.
Turkish authorities had prohibited the Katerini, northern Greece-born siblings from claiming the title to the property on account of their nationality and of the principle of reciprocity between Greece and Turkey.
In its principal judgment in September 2009 the Strasbourg-based court ruled that there had been a violation of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 regarding the protection of property.
Tuesday’s judgment concerned the question of just satisfaction, with the court ruling that the Turkish state must pay the Fokas brothers 5 million euros, plus any tax that may be chargeable, in pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages, as well as 15,000 euros, plus any tax chargeable, to cover costs and expenses.
