Led by MEP, Cypriots file complaint against Turkey

A group of Cypriots, including an MEP, on Monday filed a war crimes complaint against Turkey at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Petitioners called for an investigation into Ankara’s policy of settlement in the Turkish-occupied north of the island following the 1974 invasion.

The complaint was filed by Cypriot MEP Costas Mavrides and the Cypriots Against Turkish War Crimes (CATWR), an association of refugees from the invasion.

“The settlement and other crimes committed in the occupied part of Cyprus by Turkish officers is not a political issue. It is a matter of international law and justice. Now, it is up to the ICC to investigate the facts and decide in favour of civilization and human rights,” said Mavrides, according to The Associated Press.

Shurat HaDin, an Israel-based civil rights organization, helped the group file the suit.