Fact: The fire in Limassol’s Turkish Cypriot quarters was determined to be a deliberate arson attack and resulted in the collapse of the old Apollon cinema’s roof and extensive damages to an adjacent house.
An order was issued by the District Court of Larnaca to freeze six plots of land, which were unlawfully transferred from deceased Turkish Cypriots to natural and legal persons. The freezing order represents a significant step in the ongoing investigation by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Larnaca. The case involves alleged falsification of documents by a group of Greek Cypriots to appropriate the frozen property, with potential involvement of officials from the Larnaca Land Registry. The investigation also looks into the role of a former lawyer who has been removed from the Pan-Cypriot Bar Association register. The alleged crimes took place in February and were discovered when an individual tried to secure a payment certificate from the community authority of Pyrga. The police are currently investigating the case.
Interior ministry and audit service are in disagreement over proposed changes to laws regulating the management of Turkish Cypriot properties. The interior ministry believes that allowing Turkish Cypriot properties to be inherited by relatives of refugees residing in them will resolve inequality and feelings of injustice among displaced persons. The ministry also stated that inheritance refers to the license to use the property, not ownership. Auditor-General Odysseas Michaelides expressed concerns that well-off individuals may end up with Turkish Cypriot properties, while homeless refugees may be left without housing. The committee chairman noted that there are reservations about the transfer of properties to non-refugees and potential political issues related to succession.
The fact described in the text is that Andreas Kommatos’ fuel station in Paphos has been relocated from the commercial centre to a new location near Kato Paphos harbour. This marks the end of an era and familiar image that had been present in the heart of Paphos for decades.
The cabinet has proposed a bill to amend the allocation and management of Turkish Cypriot properties, aiming to modernize the state’s handling of these matters. The new approach seeks to make procedures clearer, more equal, meritocratic, and protective of refugee interests by considering the socio-economic situation and family composition of applicants, using clear, objective, and measurable indicators. This will limit the discretion of the guardian of Turkish Cypriot properties, a role currently held by the interior minister, due to past abuses and exploitation. The changes include counting any privately-owned property by applicants or their family in the Republic or occupied areas, considering real housing needs, setting a ceiling on agricultural land allocation to prevent over-accumulation, and considering applicant income from professional activity in commercial real estate allocation. The process of improving the management of Turkish Cypriot assets began in August 2023, with the audit of lease contracts for 3,211 properties, finding violations in 416 contracts. Measures to recover these properties have been promoted.
Lawmakers in Cyprus have been informed of illegal practices involving the cultivation of Turkish Cypriot land in the Polis area. Around 16,000 decares of land near the village of Polis are being cultivated without proper leases. Individuals involved in these practices are illegally subletting the land and receiving subsidies from the Agricultural Payments Organisation (Koap), which pays €25 per decare. An official from Koap confirmed the existence of such fraudulent activities. The House refugees committee has requested investigations by the Turkish Cypriot Properties Management Service and Koap to determine if the individuals receiving subsidies are the actual farmers working the land. Some legal leaseholders are also subletting their land through unofficial agreements, collecting subsidies while the actual farmers use the land without paying rent. Lawmakers have suggested that these lands should be utilized by refugees and displaced persons. Concerns were also raised about the lack of mention of refugees in the President’s recent policy speech.