Newsroom
The Turkish Cypriot Properties Management Service has rejected allegations surrounding the allocation of agricultural land to a former employee, saying the claims made before the Parliamentary Refugees Committee were not supported by specific evidence.
The dispute centres on claims raised during Tuesday’s committee meeting that a public servant had been granted around 1,000 skales of Turkish Cypriot agricultural land and had registered it in his son’s name.
According to the Interior Ministry, the Turkish Cypriot Properties Management Service said the land allocations in question dated back around three decades and were made under the procedures that were in force at the time.
The Service confirmed that land had been allocated to the family of one of its employees, but said the total area involved was 150,412 square metres, rather than the figure cited during the committee discussion.
It added that the contracts were terminated in 2024 following a series of checks carried out over the previous three years.
The reviews were conducted on the instructions of Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou, who is also the Guardian of Turkish Cypriot Properties. The Service said the Refugees Committee had been informed about the termination of the contracts on several occasions.
A separate lease held by the employee himself remains active. The former employee has since retired, while the 31,000-square-metre plot continues to be used for agricultural purposes.
The Service said it has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, mismanagement and breaches of established procedures.
It also invited MPs and members of the public to submit complaints supported by specific information, saying such cases are investigated and appropriate action is taken where violations are established.
The statement came after AKEL MP and Refugees Committee chairman Nikos Kettirros raised the issue during Tuesday’s meeting.
Kettirros alleged that a civil servant had obtained Turkish Cypriot agricultural land and registered it in the name of his son, who works as a doctor in Germany and receives agricultural payments from the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation (CAPO).
Senior officer of the Turkish Cypriot Services Department Giannos Sofokleous responded that any available evidence should be submitted to the Service so that the allegations could be examined.
The Turkish Cypriot Properties Management Service said public statements without supporting documentation do not contribute to efforts to identify and address cases of improper management.
It maintained that its current procedures are intended to protect Turkish Cypriot properties and ensure that they are managed for the benefit of refugees.
