CEDH · CASELAW;JUDGMENTS;GRANDCHAMBER;ENG — 23 mars 1995

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display:inline-block } .sAC030EB3 { width:24.59pt; display:inline-block } .s14922276 { width:28.59pt; display:inline-block } .sEA1503C2 { width:6.6pt; display:inline-block } .sF6A12959 { width:33%; height:1px; text-align:left } .s85226119 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify; font-size:10pt } .s653E6C45 { font-family:Arial; font-size:6.67pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 }       COURT (CHAMBER)             CASE OF LOIZIDOU v. TURKEY (PRELIMINARY OBJECTIONS)   (Application no. 15318/89)             JUDGMENT       STRASBOURG   23 March 1995 In the case of Loizidou v. Turkey [1] , The European Court of Human Rights sitting, in pursuance of Rule 51 of Rules of Court A [2] , as a Grand Chamber composed of the following judges:   Mr   R. Ryssdal , President   Mr   R. Bernhardt ,   Mr   F. Gölcüklü ,   Mr   L.-E. Pettiti ,   Mr   B. Walsh ,   Mr   R. Macdonald ,   Mr   A. Spielmann ,   Mr   S.K. Martens ,   Mrs   E. Palm ,   Mr   R. Pekkanen ,   Mr   A.N. Loizou ,   Mr   J.M. Morenilla ,   Mr   A.B. Baka ,   Mr   M.A. Lopes Rocha ,   Mr   L. Wildhaber ,   Mr   G. Mifsud Bonnici ,   Mr   P. Jambrek ,   Mr   U. Lohmus , and also of Mr H. Petzold , Registrar , Having deliberated in private on 23 June 1994, 22 August 1994, 23 September 1994, 24 November 1994 and on 23 February 1995, Delivers the following judgment on the preliminary objections, which was adopted on the last-mentioned date: PROCEDURE 1.    The case was referred to the Court by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus ("the applicant Government") on 9 November 1993, within the three-month period laid down by Article 32 para. 1 and Article 47 (art. 32-1, art. 47) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ("the Convention"). It originated in an application (no. 15318/89) against the Republic of Turkey (see paragraphs 47-52 below) lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights ("the Commission") under Article 25 (art. 25) on 22 July 1989 by a Cypriot national, Mrs Titina Loizidou. The applicant Government’s application referred to Article 48 (b) (art. 48-b) of the Convention. The object of the application of the Government was to obtain a decision as to whether the facts of the case concerning the applicant’s property disclosed a breach by Turkey of its obligations under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (P1-1) and Article 8 (art. 8) of the Convention. 2.    In response to the enquiry made in accordance with Rule 33 para. 3 (d) of Rules of Court A, the applicant stated that she wished to take part in the proceedings and designated the lawyer who would represent her (Rule 30). 3.    The Chamber to be constituted included ex officio Mr F. Gölcüklü and Mr A.N. Loizou, the elected judges of Turkish and Cypriot nationality (Article 43 of the Convention) (art. 43), and Mr R. Ryssdal, the President of the Court (Rule 21 para. 3 (b)). On 23 November 1993, in the presence of the Registrar, the President drew by lot the names of the other six members, namely, Mr A. Spielmann, Mr N. Valticos, Mr R. Pekkanen, Mr A.B. Baka, Mr L. Wildhaber and Mr P. Jambrek (Article 43 in fine of the Convention and Rule 21 para. 4) (art. 43). 4.    In a letter of 26 November 1993 the Agent of the Turkish Government stated that his Government considered that the case fell outside the Court’s jurisdiction on the grounds that it related to events which occurred before Turkey’s declaration of acceptance of the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court dated 22 January 1990 and did not concern matters arising within the territory covered by this declaration. 5.    On 29 November 1993 the President of the Court submitted to the plenary Court for decision, pursuant to Rule 34, the question whether the Government of the Republic of Cyprus had a right under Article 48 (art. 48) to bring the case before the Court. 6.    As President of the Chamber (Rule 21 para. 5) Mr Ryssdal, through the Registrar, consulted the Agents of the Governments, the applicant’s lawyer and the Delegate of the Commission on the organisation of the proceedings (Rules 37 para. 1 and 38) in relation to the preliminary objections raised by Turkey. Pursuant to the order made in consequence, the Registrar received on 17 January 1994, 24 February and 28 February the memorials of the Turkish Government, the applicant and the applicant Government respectively. The Delegate’s observations on these memorials were submitted on 14 March 1994. 7.    On 21 April 1994 the plenary Court considered the issue submitted to it by the President under Rule 34 and decided, without prejudice to the preliminary objections raised by Turkey and to the merits of the case, that the applicant Government had the right to refer the case to the Court under Article 48 (b) (art. 48-b) of the Convention and that the Chamber should resume consideration of the case. 8.    The Chamber subsequently relinquished jurisdiction in favour of a Grand Chamber on 27 May 1994 (Rule 51). By virtue of Rule 51 para. 2 (a) and (b) the President and the Vice-President of the Court (Mr Ryssdal and Mr R. Bernhardt) as well as the other members of the original Chamber are members of the Grand Chamber. On 28 May 1994 the names of the additional judges were drawn by lot by the President, in the presence of the Registrar, namely Mr L.-E. Pettiti, Mr B. Walsh, Mr R. Macdonald, Mr S.K. Martens, Mrs E. Palm, Mr F. Bigi, Mr M.A. Lopes Rocha, Mr G. Mifsud Bonnici and Mr U. Lohmus. Subsequently, Mr Valticos, being prevented from taking part in the proceedings, was replaced by Mr J.M. Morenilla (Rules 24 para. 1 and 51 para. 6). In addition Mr Bigi, being unable to participate in the Court’s deliberations on 22 August and 23 September 1994, took no further part in the proceedings. 9.    In accordance with the President’s decision, the hearing of the preliminary objections took place in public in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 22 June 1994. The Court had held a preparatory meeting beforehand. There appeared before the Court: - for the Turkish Government     Mr B. Çaglar ,   Agent ,     Mr H. Golsong ,   Counsel ,     Mr M. Özmen , Ministry of Foreign Affairs,     Mrs D. Akçay , Ministry of Foreign Affairs,   Advisers ; - for the Cypriot Government     Mr M. Triantafyllides , Attorney-General,   Agent ,     Miss P. Polychronidou , Barrister-at-Law,   Counsel ; - for the Commission     Mr S. Trechsel ,   Delegate ; - for the applicant     Mr A. Demetriades , Barrister-at-Law,     Mr I. Brownlie , QC,     Ms J. Loizidou , Barrister-at-Law,   Counsel . The Court heard addresses by Mr Trechsel, Mr Çaglar, Mr Golsong, Mr Demetriades, Mr Brownlie and Mr Triantafyllides and also replies to a question put by one of its members individually. AS TO THE FACTS I.    PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE 10.    The applicant, a Cypriot national, grew up in Kyrenia in northern Cyprus. In 1972 she married and moved with her husband to Nicosia. 11.    She claims to be the owner of plots of land nos. 4609, 4610, 4618, 4619, 4748, 4884, 5002, 5004, 5386 and 5390 in Kyrenia in northern Cyprus and she alleges that prior to the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus on 20 July 1974, work had commenced on plot no. 5390 for the construction of flats, one of which was intended as a home for her family. She states that she has been prevented in the past, and is still prevented, by Turkish forces from returning to Kyrenia and "peacefully enjoying" her property. 12.    On 19 March 1989 the applicant participated in a march organised by a women’s group ("Women Walk Home" movement) in the village of Lymbia near the Turkish village of Akincilar in the occupied area of northern Cyprus. The aim of the march was to assert the right of Greek Cypriot refugees to return to their homes. Leading a group of fifty marchers she advanced up a hill towards the Church of the Holy Cross in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus passing the United Nations’ guard post on the way. When they reached the churchyard they were surrounded by Turkish soldiers and prevented from moving any further. 13.    She was eventually detained by members of the Turkish Cypriot police force and brought by ambulance to Nicosia. She was released around midnight, having been detained for more than ten hours. 14.    In his report of 31 May 1989 (Security Council document S/20663) on the United Nations Operation in Cyprus (for the period 1 December 1988 - 31 May 1989) the Secretary-General of the United Nations described the demonstration of 19 March 1989 as follows (at paragraph 11): "In March 1989, considerable tension occurred over the well-publicized plans of a Greek Cypriot women’s group to organize a large demonstration with the announced intention of crossing the Turkish forces cease-fire line. In this connection it is relevant to recall that, following violent demonstrations in the United Nations buffer-zone in November 1988, the Government of Cyprus had given assurances that it would in future do whatever was necessary to ensure respect for the buffer-zone ... Accordingly, UNFICYP asked the Government to take effective action to prevent any demonstrators from entering the buffer-zone, bearing in mind that such entry would lead to a situation that might be difficult to control. The demonstration took place on 19 March 1989. An estimated 2,000 women crossed the buffer-zone at Lymbia and some managed to cross the Turkish forces’ line. A smaller group crossed that line at Akhna. At Lymbia, a large number of Turkish Cypriot women arrived shortly after the Greek Cypriots and mounted a counter demonstration, remaining however on their side of the line. Unarmed Turkish soldiers opposed the demonstrators and, thanks largely to the manner in which they and the Turkish Cypriot police dealt with the situation, the demonstration passed without serious incident. Altogether, 54 demonstrators were arrested by Turkish Cypriot police in the two locations; they were released to UNFICYP later the same day." A. Turkey’s declaration of 28 January 1987 under Article 25 (art. 25) of the Convention 15.    On 28 January 1987 the Government of Turkey deposited the following declaration with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe pursuant to Article 25 (art. 25) of the Convention (see paragraph 65 below): "The Government of Turkey, acting pursuant to Article 25 (1) (art. 25-1) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms hereby declares to accept the competence of the European Commission of Human Rights and to receive petitions according to Article 25 (art. 25) of the Convention subject to the following: (i) the recognition of the right of petition extends only to allegations concerning acts or omissions of public authorities in Turkey performed within the boundaries of the territory to which the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey is applicable; (ii) the circumstances and conditions under which Turkey, by virtue of Article 15 (art. 15) of the Convention, derogates from her obligations under the Convention in special circumstances must be interpreted, for the purpose of the competence attributed to the Commission under this declaration, in the light of Articles 119 to 122 of the Turkish Constitution; (iii) the competence attributed to the Commission under this declaration shall not comprise matters regarding the legal status of military personnel and in particular, the system of discipline in the armed forces; (iv) for the purpose of the competence attributed to the Commission under this declaration, the notion of a "democratic society" in paragraphs 2 of Articles 8, 9, 10 and 11 (art. 8-2, art. 9-2, art. 10-2, art. 11-2) of the Convention must be understood in conformity with the principles laid down in the Turkish Constitution and in particular its Preamble and its Article 13; (v) for the purpose of the competence attributed to the Commission under the present declaration, Articles 33, 52 and 135 of the Constitution must be understood as being in conformity with Article 10 and 11 (art. 10, art. 11) of the Convention. This declaration extends to allegations made in respect of facts, including judgments which are based on such facts which have occurred subsequent to the date of deposit of the present declaration. This declaration is valid for three years from the date of deposit with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe." B. Exchange of correspondence between the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the Permanent Representative of Turkey 16.    On 29 January 1987 the Secretary General of the Council of Europe transmitted the above declaration to the other High Contracting Parties to the Convention indicating that he had drawn the Turkish authorities’ attention to the fact that the notification made pursuant to Article 25 para. 3 (art. 25-3) of the Convention in no way prejudged the legal questions which might arise concerning the validity of Turkey’s declaration. 17.    In a letter dated 5 February 1987 to the Secretary General, the Permanent Representative of Turkey to the Council of Europe stated that the wording of Article 25 para. 3 (art. 25-3) of the Convention offered no basis for expressing opinions or adding comments when transmitting copies of the Turkish declaration to the High Contracting Parties. He added: "International treaty practice, in particular that followed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as depositary to similar important treaties as the Statute of the International Court of Justice or the covenants and conventions dealing with human rights and fundamental freedoms, also confirms that the depositary has to refrain from any comments on the substance of any declaration made by a Contracting Party." C. Reactions of various Contracting Parties to Turkey’s Article 25 (art. 25) declaration 18.    On 6 April 1987 the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece wrote to the Secretary General stating inter alia that reservations to the European Convention on Human Rights may not be formulated on the basis of any provision other than Article 64 (art. 64). He added: "Furthermore, Article 25 (art. 25) provides neither directly nor implicitly the possibility of formulating reservations similar to the reservations set out in the Turkish declaration. The position cannot be otherwise, for if reservations could be made on the basis of Article 25 (art. 25), such a method of proceeding would undermine Article 64 (art. 64) and would sooner or later destroy the very foundations of the Convention. ... It follows that the Turkish reservations, as they are outside the scope of Article 64 (art. 64) must be considered as unauthorised reservations and, accordingly, as illegal reservations. Consequently, they are null and void and may not give rise to any effect in law." 19.    In a letter of 21 April 1987 the Permanent Representative of Sweden wrote to the Secretary General stating inter alia that "the reservations and declarations ... raise various legal questions as to the scope of the [Turkish] recognition. The Government therefore reserves the right to return to this question in the light of such decisions by the competent bodies of the Council of Europe that may occur in connection with concrete petitions from individuals". 20.    The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, in a letter of 21 April 1987 to the Secretary General stated inter alia that "Luxembourg reserves to itself the right to express ... its position in regard to the Turkish Government’s declaration" before the competent bodies of the Council of Europe. He indicated that "the absence of a formal and official reaction on the merits of the problem should not ... be interpreted as a tacit recognition by Luxembourg of the Turkish Government’s reservations". 21.    In a letter of 30 April 1987 to the Secretary General the Permanent Representative of Denmark stated inter alia as follows: "In the view of the Danish Government, the reservations and declarations which accompany the said recognition raise various legal questions as to the scope of the recognition. The Government therefore reserves its right to return to these questions in the light of future decisions by the competent bodies of the Council of Europe in connection with concrete petitions from individuals." 22.    The Permanent Representative of Norway, in his letter of 4 May 1987 to the Secretary General, stated that the wording of the declaration could give rise to difficult issues of interpretation as to the scope of the recognition of the right to petition. He considered that such issues fell to be resolved by the European Commission of Human Rights in dealing with concrete petitions. He added: "It is therefore desirable to avoid any doubt as to the scope and validity of the recognition by individual States of this right which may be raised by generalised stipulations in respect of the context in which petitions would be accepted as admissible, interpretative statements or other conditionalities." 23.    In a letter dated 26 June 1987 to the Secretary General, the Permanent Representative of Turkey stated that the points contained in the Turkish declaration were not to be considered as "reservations" in the sense of international treaty law. He pointed out, inter alia, that the only competent organ to make a legally binding assessment as to the validity of the conditions attaching to the Article 25 (art. 25) declaration was "the European Commission of Human Rights, when being seized of an individual application, and eventually the Committee of Ministers, when acting pursuant to Article 32 (art. 32) of the Convention". 24.    The Permanent Representative of Belgium, in a letter of 22 July 1987 to the Secretary General, stated that the conditions and qualifications set forth in the declaration raised legal questions as to the system of protection set up under the Convention. He added: "Belgium therefore reserves the right to express its position in regard to the Turkish Government’s declaration, at a later stage and before the competent bodies of the Council of Europe. Meanwhile the absence of a formal reaction on the merits of the problem should by no means be interpreted as a tacit recognition by Belgium of the Turkish Government’s conditions and qualifications." D. Turkey’s subsequent Article 25 (art. 25) declarations 25.    Turkey subsequently renewed her declaration under Article 25 (art. 25) of the Convention for three years as from 28 January 1990. The declaration read as follows: "The Government of Turkey, acting pursuant to Article 25 (1) (art. 25-1) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms hereby declares to accept the competence of the European Commission of Human Rights to receive petitions according to Article 25 (art. 25) of the Convention on the basis of the following: (i) the recognition of the right of petition extends only to allegations concerning acts or omissions of public authorities in Turkey performed within the boundaries of the national territory of the Republic of Turkey; (ii) the circumstances and conditions under which Turkey, by virtue of Article 15 (art. 15) of the Convention, derogates from her obligations under the Convention in special circumstances must be interpreted, for the purpose of the competence attributed to the Commission under this declaration, in the light of Articles 119 to 122 of the Turkish Constitution; (iii) the competence attributed to the Commission under this declaration shall not comprise matters regarding the legal status of military personnel and in particular, the system of discipline in the armed forces; (iv) for the purpose of the competence attributed to the Commission under this declaration, Articles 8, 9, 10 and 11 (art. 8, art. 9, art. 10, art. 11) of the Convention shall be interpreted by giving special emphasis to `those legal and factual features which characterize the life of the society’ (European Court of Human Rights, Judgment of 23 July 1968, p. 34) in Turkey, as expressed notably by the Turkish Constitution including its Preamble. This declaration extends to allegations made in respect of facts, including judgments which are based on such facts which have occurred subsequent to 28 January 1987, date of the deposit of the previous declaration by Turkey. This declaration is valid for three years as from January 28, 1990." 26.    A further renewal for a three-year period as from 28 January 1993 reads as follows: "The Government of Turkey, acting pursuant to Article 25 (1) (art. 25-1) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, hereby declares to accept the competence of the European Commission of Human Rights, to receive petitions which raise allegations concerning acts or omissions of public authorities in Turkey in as far as they have been performed within the boundaries of the national territory of the Republic of Turkey. This declaration extends to allegations made in respect of facts, including judgments which are based on such facts which have occurred subsequent to 28 January 1987, date of the deposit of the first declaration made by Turkey under Article 25 (art. 25) of the Convention. This declaration is valid for three years from 28 January 1993." E. Turkish declaration of 22 January 1990 under Article 46 (art. 46) of the Convention 27.    On 22 January 1990, the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs deposited the following declaration with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe pursuant to Article 46 (art. 46) of the Convention (see paragraph 66 below): "On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Turkey and acting in accordance with Article 46 (art. 46) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, I hereby declare as follows: The Government of the Republic of Turkey acting in accordance with Article 46 (art. 46) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, hereby recognises as compulsory ipso facto and without special agreement the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights in all matters concerning the interpretation and application of the Convention which relate to the exercise of jurisdiction within the meaning of Article 1 (art. 1) of the Convention, performed within the boundaries of the national territory of the Republic of Turkey, and provided further that such matters have previously been examined by the Commission within the power conferred upon it by Turkey. This Declaration is made on condition of reciprocity, including reciprocity of obligations assumed under the Convention. It is valid for a period of 3 years as from the date of its deposit and extends to matters raised in respect of facts, including judgments which are based on such facts which have occurred subsequent to the date of deposit of the present Declaration." This declaration was renewed for a period of three years as from 22 January 1993 in substantially the same terms. 28.    The Secretary General of the Council of Europe acknowledged deposit of the Turkish declaration under Article 46 (art. 46) in a letter dated 26 January 1990 and pointed out that her acknowledgement was without prejudice to the legal questions that might arise concerning the validity of the Turkish declaration. 29.    In a letter of 31 May 1990 to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Permanent Representative of Greece stated inter alia as follows: "Article 46 (art. 46) of the said Convention is clear and to be strictly interpreted and applied. It provides that declarations of recognition of the Court’s jurisdiction may be subject to two conditions only: (a) on condition of reciprocity, if they are not made unconditionally, and (b) for a specified period. Consequently, the above-mentioned declaration of the Turkish Government which, in addition to these two conditions, contains further restrictions or reservations, is, where the latter are concerned, incompatible with Article 46 (art. 46) and with the European Convention on Human Rights in general, as indeed was already pointed out in the Greek Government’s letter of 6 April 1987 in connection with the Turkish Government’s declaration under Article 25 (art. 25) of the said Convention. It follows that these restrictions or reservations are null and void and may have no legal effect." II.    CYPRIOT DECLARATION UNDER ARTICLE 25 (ART. 25) 30.    By letter of 9 August 1988 the Government of Cyprus deposited the following declaration under Article 25 (art. 25) of the Convention: "On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, I declare, in accordance with Article 25 (art. 25) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 4 November 1950, that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus recognizes, for the period beginning on 1 January 1989 and ending on 31 December 1991, the competence of the European Commission of Human Rights to receive petitions submitted to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe subsequently to 31 December 1988, by any person, non-governmental organisation or group of individuals claiming, in relation to any act or decision occurring or any facts or events arising subsequently to 31 December 1988, to be the victim of a violation of the rights set forth in that Convention. On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, I further declare that the competence of the Commission by virtue of Article 25 (art. 25) of the Convention is not to extend to petitions concerning acts or omissions alleged to involve breaches of the Convention or its Protocols, in which the Republic of Cyprus is named as the Respondent, if the acts or omissions relate to measures taken by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus to meet the needs resulting from the situation created by the continuing invasion and military occupation of part of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey." 31.    In a letter dated 12 September 1988, the Secretary General recalled that according to the general rules, the notification made pursuant to Article 25 para. 3 (art. 25-3) in no way prejudged the legal questions that might arise concerning the validity of the Cypriot declaration. 32.    The declaration was renewed in the same terms on 2 January 1992. By letter of 22 December 1994 it was renewed for a further period of three years without the restrictions ratione materiae set out above. III.    DECLARATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM UNDER ARTICLE 25 (ART. 25) 33.    The United Kingdom’s Article 25 (art. 25) declaration of 14 January 1966, which has been renewed successively, reads as follows: "On instructions from Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, I have the honour to declare in accordance with the provisions of Article 25 (art. 25) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, signed at Rome on the 4th November, 1950, that the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recognise, in respect of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland only and not, pending further notification, in respect of any other territory for the international relations of which the Government of the United Kingdom are responsible, for the period beginning on the 14th January 1966, and ending on 13th of January 1969, the competence of the European Commission of Human Rights to receive petitions submitted to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe subsequently to the 13th of January 1966, by any person, non-governmental organisation or group of individuals claiming, in relation to any act or decision occurring or any facts or events arising subsequently to the 13th of January 1966, to be the victim of a violation of the rights set forth in that Convention and in the Protocol thereto which was opened for signature at Paris on the 20th March 1952. This declaration does not extend to petitions in relation to anything done or occurring in any territory in respect of which the competence of the European Commission of Human Rights to receive petitions has not been recognised by the Government of the United Kingdom or to petitions in relation to anything done or occurring in the United Kingdom in respect of such a territory or of matters arising there." PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSION 34.    Mrs Loizidou lodged her application (no. 15318/89) on 22 July 1989. She complained that her arrest and detention involved violations of Articles 3, 5 and 8 (art. 3, art. 5, art. 8) of the Convention. She further complained that the refusal of access to her property constituted a continuing violation of Article 8 (art. 8) of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (P1-1). 35.    On 4 March 1991 the Commission declared the applicant’s complaints admissible in so far as they raised issues under Articles 3, 5 and 8 (art. 3, art. 5, art. 8) in respect of her arrest and detention and Article 8 (art. 8) and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (P1-1) concerning continuing violations of her right of access to property alleged to have occurred subsequent to 29 January 1987. Her complaint under the latter two provisions of a continuing violation of her property rights before 29 January 1987 was declared inadmissible. In its report of 8 July 1993 (Article 31) (art. 31), it expressed the opinion that there had been no violation of Article 3 (art. 3) (unanimously); Article 8 (art. 8) as regards the applicant’s private life (eleven votes to two); Article 5 para. 1 (art. 5-1) (nine votes to four); Article 8 (art. 8) as regards the applicant’s home (nine votes to four) and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (P1-1) (eight votes to five). The full text of the Commission’s opinion and of the three separate opinions contained in the report is reproduced as an annex to this judgment [3] . FINAL SUBMISSIONS TO THE COURT 36.    At the close of the hearing the Agent of the Turkish Government stated as follows: "In the light of what has been stated, it is my honour on behalf of the Turkish Government to urge the Court to declare that it has no jurisdiction to examine this case, based on the application lodged by Mrs Loizidou and referred to the Court by the Greek Cypriot administration. The allegations made lie outside the jurisdiction of Turkey within the meaning of Article 1 (art. 1) of the Convention. As a subsidiary argument, we would also like the Court to find that it has no jurisdiction to examine this application filed by Mrs Loizidou on the grounds of the territorial limitation, which is an integral part of the recognition by Turkey of the jurisdiction of the Commission, pursuant to Article 25 (art. 25) of the Convention. Secondly, on behalf of the Turkish Government, I would ask the Court to declare that it has no jurisdiction to examine the application filed by Mrs Loizidou since the alleged facts occurred prior to the date on which the Turkish declaration, recognising the Court’s jurisdiction, entered into force, pursuant to Article 46 (art. 46) of the Convention. Furthermore, the facts occurred prior to the date on which the declaration, recognising the jurisdiction of the Commission, entered into force, pursuant to Article 25 (art. 25)." 37.    In their memorial, the applicant Government stated: "For all the above reasons the Cyprus Government submits that (a) the ‘preliminary objections of Turkey’ should be rejected, (b) the reference of the case to the Court by the Cyprus Government is well founded and is justified in the interest of the European public order and the protection of the human rights under the Convention and (c) that the complaints of the applicant in the above case for violations of her rights under the Convention are valid." 38.    The applicant, in her memorial, concluded as follows: "On the basis of the considerations set forth above the Court is requested (i) to reject all the preliminary objections advanced on behalf of Turkey; and (ii) to affirm the existence of jurisdiction in respect of the continuing violations of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (P1-1) and of Article 8 (art. 8) of the Convention with effect from 28 January 1987 or (in the alternative) with effect from 22 January 1990." AS TO THE LAW I.    THE STANDING OF THE APPLICANT GOVERNMENT 39.    Throughout the proceedings the Turkish Government systematically referred to the applicant Government as the "Greek Cypriot administration". They indicated, without developing any arguments on this point, that they did not accept the capacity of the applicant Government to represent the people of Cyprus and that their appearance before the Court in the present case should not be understood as amounting to any form of recognition of that Government. 40.    The Court confines itself to noting, with reference inter alia to the consistent practice of the Council of Europe and the decisions of the Commission in the inter-State cases of Cyprus v. Turkey, that the applicant Government have been recognised by the international community as the Government of the Republic of Cyprus (see in this connection, applications nos. 6780/74 and 6950/75, Cyprus v. Turkey, 26 May 1975, Decisions and Reports (DR) 2, p. 125, at pp. 135-36; no. 8007/77, Cyprus v. Turkey, 10 July 1978, DR 13, p. 85, at p. 146). Their locus standi as the Government of a High Contracting Party to the Convention cannot therefore be in doubt. Moreover it has not been contested that the applicant is a national of the Republic of Cyprus. 41.    In any event recognition of an applicant Government by a respondent Government is not a precondition for either the institution of proceedings under Article 24 (art. 24) of the Convention or the referral of cases to the Court under Article 48 (art. 48) (see application no. 8007/77, loc. cit., pp. 147-48). If it were otherwise, the system of collective enforcement which is a central element in the Convention system could be effectively neutralised by the interplay of recognition between individual Governments and States. II.    ALLEGED ABUSE OF PROCESS 42.    The Turkish Government submitted that the overriding aim of the application was political propaganda. The decision of the applicant Government to bring the case before the Court was not, in fact, made in order to complain of the alleged violations of the applicant’s rights but rather to stimulate a debate before the Court on the status of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (the "TRNC"). Such an approach amounted to an abuse of process. The complaints therefore fell outside the Court’s competence since they seek to pervert the character of the judicial control procedure. 43.    The applicant Government and the Commission took issue with this submission. The Government of Cyprus argued inter alia that the applicant’s case is one of thousands of instances of displaced persons who have been deprived of their property because of the illegal Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus. Moreover, it was only natural that the Government of Cyprus should be interested in the fate of their citizens. The applicant, for her part, considered that the claim lacked the status of a preliminary objection. 44.    The Court observes that this objection was not raised in the proceedings before the Commission. Accordingly the Turkish Government is estopped from raising it before the Court in so far as it applies to Mrs Loizidou. 45.    In so far as it is directed to the applicant Government, the Court notes that this Government have referred the case to the Court inter alia because of their concern for the rights of the applicant and other citizens in the same situation. The Court does not consider such motivation to be an abuse of its procedures. It follows that this objection must be rejected. 46.    In the light of this conclusion it leaves open the question whether it could refuse jurisdiction in an application by a State under Article 48 (b) (art. 48-b) on the grounds of its allegedly abusive character. III.    THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT’S ROLE IN THE PROCEEDINGS 47.    The Turkish Government submitted that, in essence, the present case did not concern the acts or omissions of Turkey but those of the "TRNC" which they claimed to be an independent State established in the north of Cyprus. As the only Contracting Party to have recognised the "TRNC", with whose authorities it has close and friendly relations, its role before the Court was limited to that of an amicus curiae since the "TRNC" was not itself able to be a "party" to the present proceedings. 48.    For the applicant Government, it was not open to Turkey under the Rules of Court to change its status in this way and to appear on behalf of an illegal regime which had been established in defiance of international law and which has not been recognised by the international community. 49.    The applicant for her part considered that the Turkish Government’s position amounted, in effect, to an objection ratione loci. 50.    The Commission maintained that Turkey appeared not as an amicus curiae but as a High Contracting Party to the Convention. 51.    The Court does not consider that it lies within the discretion of a Contracting Party to the Convention to characterise its standing in the proceedings before the Court in the manner it sees fit. It observes that the case originates in a petition made under Article 25 (art. 25), brought by the applicant against Turkey in her capacity as a High Contracting Party to the Convention and has been referred to the Court under Article 48 (b) (art. 48-b) by another High Contracting Party. 52.    The Court therefore considers - without prejudging the remainder of the issues in these proceedings - that Turkey is the respondent Party in this case. IV.    SCOPE OF THE CASE 53.    Before the Commission the applicant complained that her right to the peaceful enjoyment of her possessions had been affected as a result of the continued occupation and control of the northern part of Cyprus by Turkish armed forces which have on several occasions prevented her from gaining access to her home and other properties there. She submitted that this state of affairs constituted a continuing violation of her property rights contrary to Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (P1-1) to the Convention as well as a continuing violation of her right to respect for her home contrary to Article 8 (art. 8) of the Convention. She further alleged violations of Articles 3, 5 para. 1 and 8 (art. 3, art. 5-1, art. 8) of the Convention arising out of her arrest and detention (see paragraph 34 above). 54.    In the application referring the present case to the Court under Article 48 (b) (art. 48-b) of the Convention the applicant Government have confined themselves to seeking a ruling on the complaints under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (P1-1) and Article 8 (art. 8), in so far as they have been declared admissible by the Commission (see paragraph 35 above), concerning access to the applicant’s property. Accordingly, as is undisputed, it is only these complaints which are before the Court. The remaining part of the case concerning the applicant’s arrest and detention thus falls within the competence of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in accordance with Article 32 para. 1 (art. 32-1) of the Convention. The Court notes that the issue whether the Convention and the Rules of Court permit a partial referral under Article 48 (art. 48), as in the present case, has not been called into question by those appearing before the Court. Indeed, Turkey ("the respondent Government") has accepted that the scope of the case be confined in this way. In these circumstances the Court does not find it necessary to give a general ruling on the question whether it is permissible to limit a referral to the Court to some of the issues on which the Commission has stated its opinion. V.    OBJECTIONS RATIONE LOCI 55.    The respondent Government have filed two preliminary objections ratione loci. In the first place they claimed that the Court lacks competence to consider the merits of the case on the grounds that the matters complained of did not fall within Turkish jurisdiction but within that of the "TRNC". In the second place they contended that, in accordance with their declarations under Articles 25 and 46 (art. 25, art. 46) of the Convention (see paragraphs 4, 15 and 27 above), they had not accepted either the competence of the Commission or the Court to examine acts and events outside their metropolitan territory. The Court will examine each of these objections in turn. A. Whether the facts alleged by the applicant are capable of falling within the jurisdiction of Turkey under Article 1 (art. 1) of the Convention 1. Submissions of those appearing before the Court 56.    The respondent Government first pointed out that the question of access to property was obviously outside the realm of Turkey’s "jurisdiction". This could be seen from the fact that it formed one of the core items in the inter-communal talks between the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities. Furthermore the mere presence of Turkish armed forces in northern Cyprus was not synonymous with "jurisdiction" any more than it is with the armed forces of other countries stationed abroad. In fact Turkish armed forces had never exercised "jurisdiction" over life and property in northern Cyprus. Undoubtedly it was for this reason that the findings of the Commission in the inter-State cases of Cyprus v. Turkey (applications nos. 6780/74, 6950/75 and 8007/77, supra cit.) had not been endorsed by the Committee of Ministers whose stand was in line with the realities of the situation prevailing in Cyprus following the intervention of Turkey as one of the three guarantor