US court drops Iglesias case against Turkish Cyprus

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Spanish singer Julio Iglesias performs during a concert at the Conmebol Convention Center in Luque, near Asuncion April 29, 2012. REUTERS/Jorge Adorno

A United States court has dropped a lawsuit filed by the famous singer Julio Iglesias against Turkish Cyprus regarding a dispute over a cancelled show, Anatolia news agency reported.

The lawsuit was filed in response to a previous legal case brought against the singer’s agency after Iglesias cancelled a show scheduled in a Turkish Cypriot hotel due to mounting pressure from the Greek part of the island.

Prior to the cancelation of the show Iglesias recieved $250,000 as an advanced payment, which the hotel’s management requested to be returned once the deal was off. Iglesias , however, refused to return the adance and hotel management filed a lawsuit against him in a Florida court.  

The singer raised his own lawsuit in a legal counter attack, claiming that the hotel “exploited Greek Cypriot property belonging to the Greek Cypriots.” The lawsuit claimed Iglesias would have been breaking a law if he had performed at the hotel.

The case was dropped by the court, who claimed that no relation existed between Turkish Cyprus and the hotel contract which Iglesias and his agency had signed. The ruling in this lawsuit may lead to a similar ruling in the hotel management’s lawsuit and force the singer to return the $250,000 to the hotel.

The same company which arranged Iglesias' show at the hotel reportedly organized many other shows in Turkish Cyprus, including a concert by the world famous Gypsy Kings.