Newsroom
The Ministry of Interior's Action Plan to regulate Larnaca’s Mackenzie beachfront is encountering obstacles, particularly around issues of illegal activities and subletting by original leaseholders.
According to a report on Philenews, the Ministry has begun the process of signing new lease agreements for 18 premises in the area, warning that those who do not comply will face legal action, including potential eviction.
Controversy has arisen from the decision, based on the Attorney General's legal opinions, to offer new leases to non-refugees who operate popular entertainment venues. This has sparked backlash among nine refugee beneficiaries, who are organizing protests and calling for a legal framework that secures their rights to manage these properties or receive adequate compensation. The protests coincide with the upcoming vote on the Turkish Cypriot properties (Amending Law 2024).
The refugee beneficiaries, feeling excluded and uninformed about the lease renewal process, plan to gather outside the Ministry of Interior today at noon. Their representative, Sotiris Papadopoulos, expressed frustration, stating that the government's actions are effectively making them "refugees for the second time." He criticized the Ministry for not engaging them in discussions about new contracts, despite their long wait since 2017 to be called by the Turkish Cypriot Properties Manager. The group has warned that they will pursue legal action if their demands are not met.
Mackenzie beachfront has a complex history, starting two years after the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, when the first leases were signed with displaced persons. The area developed over the years, with cafes and restaurants being built by 1987. An attempt to revise the original contracts in 2008-2010 failed, and in 2012, the Custodian of Turkish Cypriot Properties reclaimed the area, leasing it to the Larnaca Municipality. The Ministry's current action plan, announced in July 2023, is based on legal opinions from a study conducted between 2019 and 2022. Six beneficiaries have indicated their intention to sign the new agreements.
[Information sourced from Philenews]
