No damages for ‘owners’ of demolished venue on Turkish Cypriot land

The Court of Appeal on Monday rejected a suit for damages by the management of the Ktima Mackenzie venue in Larnaca, which was built on Turkish Cypriot land, after the building was demolished.

The company were appealing a 2019 Supreme Court decision, but had their case thrown out.

“We find no room for ourselves to intervene, given the adequacy with which the previous court dealt with the matter,” the court’s decision said.

“It is a fact that the interests of the company derive from their contractual relationship with the interior minister as the guardian of Turkish Cypriot properties, who, according to the court’s decision, illegally took possession of the property in question, which was subsequently leased to the appellants,” they said.

Given the illegality of the lease, it was determined that the company had no legal right to the property, and thus no legal interest in the fate of the land.

The building had been demolished after the two Turkish Cypriot owners of the land had filed suits in Larnaca and were awarded compensation.