Turkish Cypriot land cultivated by a Greek Cypriot refugee farmer in Polis Chrysochous was illegally handed over to a non-refugee hotel owner.
When Minister of Interior Konstantinos Ioannou was informed, he issued instructions for the recovery of the land and its return to the rightful user.
According to information from philenews, the hotel owner requested the land with the intention of using it as a green space.
The rationale, overturned by the minister, was that because the land falls within a tourist area, it would be better utilized by the hotel. The minister is reviewing the case and will take appropriate action.
Meanwhile, checks on a total of 1,000 leases of Turkish Cypriot properties used for commercial purposes were conducted until the end of November as part of the assessment of existing contracts and compliance with their terms, according to the Ministry of Interior.
The inspections, carried out by an internal control team established under the instructions of the Minister of Interior, cover contracts for properties in all districts.
Violation of contract terms was found in 98 cases, for which the process of recovery by the Service for the Management of Turkish Cypriot Properties has been initiated, while further investigation will be conducted for another 105 cases.
“At the same time, the Ministry of Interior is implementing measures aimed at resolving specific cases of Turkish Cypriot property management. In this context, the Ministry of Interior has revoked the lease of a Turkish Cypriot property (agricultural lot) in the Paphos District, after finding that the property, while being used by a refugee beneficiary for agricultural purposes, was wrongly approved for transfer to serve another development by a non-refugee,” the ministry said in a statement.
After a new decision by the Guardian of Turkish Cypriot Properties, the specific property was recovered, and the usage license will be reissued to the original beneficiary to rectify the injustice that was committed against them.
It is reminded that, with the aim of institutionalizing procedures and introducing mechanisms for transparent and fair management of Turkish Cypriot properties, as per the instructions of the Minister of Interior, available Turkish Cypriot assets and real estate will be published on the website of the Service for the Management of Turkish Cypriot Properties.
Through this platform, all interested refugees will be able to claim them based on common criteria.
The decision to transfer the right to use property will be made after an evaluation of applications by a competent committee to ensure equality in the utilization of Turkish Cypriot properties.
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