Erhürman: Council Of Europe Decision Did Not Void TMK Or Change Property Regime

Commenting on the outcome of the Committee’s meeting on 9–11 June 2026, Erhürman said the decision only authorised the Secretariat to prepare a draft study on the interpretation of a 2001 European Court of Human Rights ruling related to property issues before the establishment of the TMK in 2005.

He stressed that the Committee did not conclude that the execution of the judgment had been blocked, but instead opted for a procedural step to examine the Secretariat’s future draft.

Erhürman said the decision does not weaken legal arguments regarding property matters and does not amount to a request for an advisory opinion from the European Court of Human Rights. He noted that any such request would require a qualified majority at a future meeting, expected in June 2027.

He added that the vote on the Secretariat’s mandate was close to a simple majority, and that some states supported both competing draft decisions.

The President also argued that the TMK remains recognised by the European Court of Human Rights as an effective domestic remedy, and that this status has been confirmed repeatedly in case law.

Erhürman said many member states and the Secretariat itself underlined during the meeting that the property chapter should be considered closed based on established ECHR jurisprudence.

He concluded that efforts to advance the legal and diplomatic position of the Turkish Cypriot side on property and other Cyprus-related issues will continue ahead of the next review in 2027.