Turkey sued for $400bln in US for Cyprus property

A US-based group, Class Action, is filing a $400 bln lawsuit against Turkey with regard to claims by owners of property in Cyprus’ northern Turkish occupied areas, who are seeking the use and enjoyment of their property.

A press release, issued in Washington on the matter, said that “on Monday, October 19, 2009, a Class Action lawsuit is being filed against the Republic of Turkey for depriving hundreds of thousands of property owners their rights to use and enjoy their property in northern Cyprus.”

It explains that the deprivation of the use and enjoyment of property started with the wrongful invasion and occupation of 40% of the island nation of the Republic of Cyprus in 1974, that continues to this day.

“Despite recent findings of mass murders sites of civilians and others condemned by the international community, the Republic of Turkey has failed to cooperate with the civilized world,” it adds.

Unfortunately, it continues, “the deplorable conduct” of the Republic of Turkey continues in cooperation with the Turkish Cypriot regime, an illegitimate and unrecognized entity operating through the presence of the Turkish military.

To this day, it notes, the Turkish Cypriot occupation regime through the use of the Turkish military deprive the plaintiffs and the Class the rights to use, enjoy or return to their properties in violation of international law and the laws of the U.S.

This lawsuit seeks compensation for the denial of the use and enjoyment of the properties belonging to approximately 200,000 refugees and others who were forced to leave by military force, some of whom paying with their lives, by the Republic of Turkey in concert with the illegal regime in occupied Cyprus.

The Turkish military equipment used to wrongfully occupy and displace the plaintiffs and the Class from their property was sold and originated from the United States that by law requires that U.S. military equipment acquired by Turkey not be used in an offensive manner, the press release notes.