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The Court of Appeal has dismissed a €41 million lawsuit over a large stretch of Turkish Cypriot-owned land in the Paphos district, including areas now occupied by Paphos International Airport, the Andreas Papandreou Air Force Base, a self-housing settlement, and farmland allocated to Greek Cypriot refugees.
The ruling brings to an end a high-profile legal battle in which Turkish Cypriot owners, their heirs, and a Greek Cypriot administrator sought to regain control of 125 plots of land and claim millions of euros in compensation from the Republic of Cyprus.
The plaintiffs argued that the government had unlawfully interfered with the property, violated their constitutional and human rights, and owed compensation, rent, and punitive damages totaling around €41 million.
But the Court of Appeal upheld an earlier 2022 decision by the Paphos District Court, finding that the Republic had acted within the law and that the Guardian of Turkish Cypriot Properties had been right to refuse the transfer of the land.
Why the case matters
For many Cypriots, the case touches on one of the island's most complex and long-running issues: what happens to Turkish Cypriot property in government-controlled areas following the events of 1974.
The disputed land is no ordinary real estate.
Today, parts of it are occupied by infrastructure used by thousands of people every year, including Paphos International Airport, military facilities, housing built for displaced Greek Cypriot families, and agricultural land allocated to refugees.
A ruling in favor of the claimants could have raised difficult questions about compensation and the future of land that has been used for public purposes for decades.
Hidden heir proved crucial
One of the key reasons the courts rejected the claim was the discovery of another heir whose existence had not been disclosed when permission was sought to sell the entire property.
According to the judgment, the applicants intended to sell all of the land to the Greek Cypriot administrator under a private agreement without revealing either the additional heir or the sale arrangement.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the Guardian had a legal duty to protect the interests of all rightful heirs and was therefore correct in refusing the request.
Judges said the Guardian is responsible for managing Turkish Cypriot properties and has powers similar to those of the owner while ensuring that no individual's rights are unfairly affected.
Court rejects rights violation claims
The appeal court also dismissed arguments that the Republic had illegally seized the land or violated the owners' human rights.
In its judgment, the court said the continued management of Turkish Cypriot properties by the Guardian remains lawful because of the exceptional legal situation created by the 1974 Turkish invasion and the island's continuing division.
The judges also rejected claims that Turkish Cypriots had been forced to abandon their homes in government-controlled areas after 1974.
The ruling noted that many Turkish Cypriots chose to remain in the areas controlled by the Republic after the conflict, demonstrating that relocation was not compulsory for everyone.
Republic awarded legal costs
After dismissing the appeal in its entirety, the Court of Appeal ordered the plaintiffs to pay the Republic's legal costs.
The case was handled on behalf of the Attorney General by Senior Republic Attorney Elli Florentzou.
The judgment is one of the latest court decisions reaffirming the powers of the Guardian of Turkish Cypriot Properties, whose role continues to balance private ownership rights with the complex realities created by Cyprus' unresolved division more than five decades later.
