Tensions arise as reports indicate that Turkish Diplomat accounts have been frozen by order of local UK Courts after Greek-Cypriot claims regarding occupied properties.

As has been reported by various news outlets, a local court in the UK has issued an order blocking the bank accounts of a number of Turkish individuals which included Diplomats.

Reportedly, seven Greek Cypriots filed a property claim against Turkey beforeGreek-Cypriot Courts and subsequently won. Following their victory in the Greek-Cypriot Court, the individuals in question successfully requested from the UK to implement the decision.  This led to a local British court issuing an order whereby a certain number of bank accounts have been blocked, some of which reportedly belonging to diplomats of the Turkish Embassy.

Following this turn of events, the decision has led to the reaction of Ankara wherebythe British Ambassador was reportedly summoned by Ankara and the Turkish embassy in London has lodged a similar request. Additionally the position of Ankara is that this act purportedly contravenes the Vienna Convention while simultaneously hindering the work of Turkey’s missions in Britain. Reportedly, Ankara has already activated legal procedures in attempts to release the accounts of the affected individuals.

The right to property, or to own property can be deemed a human right as it is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 17 whereby “(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property”. The protection of property is also enshrined in Protocol 1, Article 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights where “every natural or legal person is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of his possessions”. Thus the decision of the UK Court is upholding and securing the rights of Greek-Cypriots to ownership of their property that is occupied following the tragic events of the Turkish invasion in 1974.