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Statements by the Minister of Interior Mr. Constantinos Ioannou
The amending bill and the Regulations governing the management and disposal of Turkish Cypriot properties were approved today by the Council of Ministers, following a proposal submitted by the Minister of Interior, Constantinos Ioannou. This is an important step that aims to modernize the way of disposal and management of Turkish Cypriot properties, with the introduction of clear criteria, in order to achieve transparency, equality and meritocracy and to protect the interests of the refugee world. Ioannou stressed that the Ministry of Interior aims to enhance transparency and meritocracy and in order to achieve this goal, "we are introducing a new procedure for the allocation of Turkish Cypriot properties, with the main innovation being the implementation of an eligibility and rating system for applicants with clear, objective and measurable indicators. In this way, the discretionary power of the Custodian, which has been in force all these years with regard to the granting of Turkish Cypriot properties and which has resulted in phenomena of abuse and exploitation, is limited. Our main objective is that the distribution of Turkish Cypriot properties should be done in a fairer way, for the benefit of the displaced persons."
Characteristically, Mr. Ioannou said that "for the first time a set of criteria is applied and the allocation of Turkish Cypriot property is linked to the socio-economic situation of the applicants and the composition of their family, in order to practically and effectively serve the needs of the refugees. At the same time, any other private property owned by the applicant in the free or occupied territories shall also be taken into account for the first time.
For example, for the allocation of Turkish Cypriot housing, eligibility criteria such as the real estate owned by the applicant or another member of his/her family in the free and/or occupied areas, as well as the layout of the housing to be allocated, so that it meets the actual housing needs of the family, will be considered first. Subsequently, and if an applicant is found to be eligible, the weighting system will be applied on the basis of the applicant's family and financial situation and the property owned by the applicant in the occupied territories. In this way, we will ensure that the decision to grant will be made on the basis of the applicant's actual needs and capabilities."
In a similar way, he continued, for the allocation of land for agricultural use, an applicant will be considered eligible, inter alia, if he is engaged in the occupation or if he owns land in the occupied areas. In addition, a ceiling is set on the area of land allocated, in order to exclude the possibility of recurrence of cases of over-concentration of Turkish Cypriot properties to individuals, while ensuring a fairer distribution of available agricultural land.
In addition, Mr. Minister pointed out that in the case of business premises, the degree to which their income is derived from professional activity in the premises under allocation is introduced as a key factor in determining the eligibility of natural or legal persons applying for such premises. Subsequently, the ranking takes into account the owned property in the occupied territories, the composition of the family, as well as his/her professional status and knowledge in relation to the proposed professional activity.
"In addition to the above, the injustice that existed to date against the owners of Turkish Cypriot houses in relation to other groups of refugees who took up residence in a government settlement or land is largely removed through the introduction of heredity in the licenses for Turkish Cypriot houses," the Interior Minister said.
As Ioannou explained, "the changes came about after studying the data available to us, with the ultimate aim of radically reforming the way Turkish Cypriot properties are granted in a more rational and fair manner. It is in the same context that since last August we have been implementing measures to control the management of Turkish Cypriot properties. By way of example, we have carried out checks on lease contracts for 3,211 (i.e. 2/3) premises used for business purposes. As a result of the audit, there was a proven violation of the lease terms in 416 contracts and measures have already been promoted to recover the premises."
"The Government's goal is to correct the weaknesses and pathologies of decades and to end the exploitation and opacity that has prevailed over the years. We believe that, with the implementation of these amendments, the refugee world, which is experiencing 50 years after the consequences of the Turkish invasion, will reap multiple benefits."
He also thanked the Chairman and members of the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees, as well as the Pancyprian Refugee Association, for their substantial contribution with targeted suggestions that facilitated and strengthened the final proposals of the Ministry of Interior. "I am sure that in the same constructive atmosphere the amendments will be discussed in the relevant Parliamentary Committee in the coming period and the bill will be brought to the Plenary of the House for voting," he said.
(MKE)
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