United Nations Security Council Resolution 550

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UN Security Council
Resolution 550
NCyprus location.svg
Northern Cyprus
Date11 May 1984
Meeting no.2,539
CodeS/RES/550 (Document)
SubjectCyprus
Voting summary
  • 13 voted for
  • 1 voted against
  • 1 abstained
ResultAdopted
Security Council composition
Permanent members
Non-permanent members
  549 Lists of resolutions 551  

United Nations Security Council resolution 550, adopted on 11 May 1984, after hearing representations from the Republic of Cyprus and reaffirming resolutions 365 (1974), 367 (1975), 541 (1983) and 544 (1983), the council condemned the illegal secessionist activities in the occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus from Turkey, in violation of the previous resolutions.

Contents

The council then called on other member states not to recognise the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), condemning the exchange of ambassadors between Turkey and Northern Cyprus and considering all attempts to interfere with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus contrary to Security Council resolutions. The resolution also states that it "considers attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the United Nations". Finally, the resolution also called for the Secretary-General to promote the implementation of the current resolution.

The resolution was adopted by 13 votes to one against (Pakistan) and one abstention from the United States.

Relevant Court Cases

International law contains no prohibition on declarations of independence, [1] and the recognition of a country is a political issue. [2]

International Courts

The ICJ's ruling was expected to bolster demands for recognition by Northern Cyprus. [4] [5] The decision of the ICJ has also been regarded as opening more potential options for the TRNC to gain international legitimacy. [6]

Courts of Countries

See also

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Toumazou et al. v. Republic of Turkey et al., was a class action suit by Greek Cypriots and others against the TRNC Representative Offices in the United States and HSBC Bank USA. Turkey was dropped as defendant on 16 February 2010 and the lawsuit name was subsequently revised to Toumazou et al. v. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The TRNC Representative Offices are a commercial entity because the United States does not formally recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The staff of the Representative Offices do not have diplomatic visas and only operate within the United States using business visas. Tsimpedes Law in Washington DC sued for "the denial of access to and enjoyment of land and property held in the north". The lawsuit, originally initiated by Cypriots displaced during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, was joined by non-Cypriots who paid for but have never been given legal title to properties that they have purchased.

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References

  1. BBC Archived 22 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine The President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Hisashi Owada (2010): "International law contains no prohibition on declarations of independence."
  2. Oshisanya, An Almanac of Contemporary and Comperative Judicial Restatement, 2016 Archived 14 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine p.64: The ICJ maintained that ... the issue of recognition was apolitical.
  3. "Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in Respect of Kosovo, Paragraph 81" (PDF). International Court of Justice. 22 July 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  4. Beaumont, Peter (22 July 2010). "Kosovo's independence is legal, world court rules". The Guardian. Peter Beaumont, The Guardian (UK), 22.07.2010. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  5. Beaumont, Peter (22 July 2010). "Kosovo's independence is legal, UN court rules". The Guardian. Peter Beaumont, The Guardian (UK), 22.07.2010. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  6. ""Can Kosovo Be A Sample For Cyprus"". Cuneyt Yenigun, International Conference on Balkan and North Cyprus Relations: Perspectives in Political, Economic and Strategic Studies Center for Strategic Studies, 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2020. After the ICJ’s decision on Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence, the TRNC gained a huge advantage on the negotiation table and also an innovative Neo-Wilsonist path reopened in international arena. Can Kosovo be a sample for Northern Cyprus? According to international law, previous decisions are not become a precedent. But practically especially after the advisory opinion of ICJ in 2010, it surely will be inspirational way and another option for Cyprus and Cypriot Turks.
  7. ECtHRThe decision of 02.07.2013. paragraph 29
  8. ECtHRThe decision of 02.09.2015. paragraph 237.
  9. Courthouse News Center 13.10.2014 Property Spat Over Turk-Controlled Cyprus Fails
  10. USA's Federal CourtMichali Toumazou, Nicolas Kantzilaris and Maroulla Tompazou versus Republic of Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
  11. USA's Federal CourtToumazou et al v. Republic of Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
  12. The Telegraph 03.02.2017Criminals fleeing British justice can no longer use Cyprus as a safe haven, judges rule, in landmark decision