Noting that the long-standing shortage of water plagued both communities equally, Themistocleous expressed the government's readiness to contribute in promoting bicommunal efforts to solve the problem. Three new applications have been filed with the European Court of Human Rights of the Council of Europe by Cypriot-born citizens of the U.K., the U.S. and Australia. All three nations claim violations by Turkey of their right to peacefully enjoy their property since the 1974 invasion. The Turkish army constructed a military airport on the properties involved in 1986. The applications rely on the principles propounded by the 1996 judgment of the Court in the Titina Loizidou case which holds Turkey responsible for human rights violations in the area under its military control.
Turkey has yet to comply with the judgment.
Restoration of Religious Sites On Jan. 17, the United Nations announced an agreement to proceed with a project to restore the Apostolos Andreas Monastery in the Turkish- occupied areas of the island and repair the Hala Sultan Mosque in Larnaca. Most of the funds for the project are provided by the United States through the United Nations Development Program. The Monastery, located at a hazardous site on the edge of a cliff, is in need of major structural repair due to neglect. The Mosque, however, has been regularly maintained by the Cyprus Antiquities Department, but work is needed on the surrounding grounds and gardens. The chapters addressed included competition policy, regional policy, fisheries, justice and home affairs, information society, free movement of workers and agriculture.