Our view: finally transparency in the real estate leasing scandal

Allegations of shady business and corruption in service in the services of the Interior Ministry, which are owned by Turkish Cypriot owned by the Ministry of the Interior, are nothing new. We have been hearing them for years. The administration of these properties was taken over by the state shortly after the invasion, and the so -called “guardian of the Turkish Cypriot properties” was set up to rent houses, workshops, arable land, fields and area systems to refugees.

There was no transparency in the way many of these properties were exchanged, the interior minister who had the overall responsibility for the service, and the officials working for it, who worked on how to help themselves for personal benefits or friends and family. Many beneficiaries had first -class properties that rented them for peanuts and sub -rental for thousands of euros per month. The area of ​​Mackenzie Beach was a first -class example of this practice. This scandal was exposed a few years ago and the guardian has withdrawn in control of most properties.

The examination office has highlighted many such cases. An official who worked for the Guardian service in Paphos, for example, had 1.8 million square meters of Turkish -Cypriot country in his possession and a Turkish -cypriotic house; His two descendants each had a Turkish Cypriot house, while his wife was owned by a area that was intended for commercial development. Part of the country was reclaimed by the guardian, while the Attorney General decided against a criminal investigation for reasons, which he had not disclosed.

In the meantime, the Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou, shortly after his appointment, decided to clean up chaos against the guardian and to introduce transparency and fairness in the parts of the real estate. In 2023, the Ministry of the Interior started an examination of the rental contracts for around 3,500 Turkish -cypriotic real estate and, according to a report in politician, found violations in the agreements for 511; Legal measures were taken against the tenants. In addition, laws that define criteria for the leasing of these properties were approved by the house, although the regulations required for the implementation have not yet been approved. This is expected to take place next month.

Ioannou has shown a commendable determination to solve a problem that has taken for decades, a problem that everyone was known, and all governments said they would approach, but in the end nothing did anything. The proof is that the scandals remained until the examination office carried out some of them. To his recognition, Ioannou was not limited to the beautiful words of his predecessors, but decided to take measures to take all the necessary measures in order to ensure the equal treatment of the refugees who are entitled to rent these properties. He said politician that the measures aim to impose transparency and to rationalize the procedures.

So far, so good.