US lawyer sues Turkey in DC court over Cyprus

Thursday, December 17, 2009
NICOSIA, Cyprus – The Associated Press

A U.S. lawyer says he has filed a class-action lawsuit against Turkey
for allegedly using U.S.-supplied arms to commit human rights
violations on Cyprus.

Athan T. Tsimpedes says U.S. law forbids countries from using American
weapons to breach international law.

He said Thursday that the lawsuit was filed last October in a District
of Columbia court on behalf of three Greek Cypriots.

Tsimpedes alleged that Turkey used U.S. arms to evict Greek Cypriots
from their homes in 1974 when it intervened after a coup by supporters
of uniting the island with Greece.

Tsimpedes, who is seeking $400 billion (274.73 billion euros) in
damages, said he was also suing authorities in the island’s Turkish
Cypriot north for promoting in D.C. the sale of Greek Cypriot
property.