Members of the House refugee committee on Tuesday highlighted the need for rationalising legislation concerning Turkish Cypriot properties, as discussions began a bill regarding their management.

Laws regulating the management of Turkish Cypriot properties have been at the centre of debates for several years.

Earlier this year, the interior ministry and audit service crossed swords over proposed changes to laws regulating the management of the properties, with then Auditor-General Odysseas Michaelides saying that allowing the properties to be inherited by relatives of refugees in them essentially negates the interior ministry as the guardian of the properties.

“Our goal is to find ways through legislation for the proper management of Turkish Cypriot properties, not to serve the interests of any particular individual,” committee chair and Akel MP Nikos Kettiros said on Tuesday.

Following the meeting, committee members pointed to issues around designated special areas under the proposed legislation and raised concerns about the lack of a comprehensive refugee policy.

Referring to the special areas outlined in the legislation, Kettiros explained that these will be determined by an interior minister decree and will be subject to competitive bidding, with priority given to displaced persons.

He clarified that these areas should not be determined solely by ministerial decree but should be clearly defined in the law.

“This approach,” he added, “would help control rents and prevent deviations from the intent of the legislation.”

Dipa MP Michalis Yakoumis described the issue as long-standing, adding that since the Turkish invasion, there has been a lack of transparency and equality in the distribution of Turkish Cypriot properties.

“What we are examining today is how to introduce more transparency and fairness into this bill,” he said.

Yakoumis also expressed concern over the absence of a comprehensive refugee policy in Cyprus.

“We are pushing and will continue to push for the establishment of a complete refugee policy,” he vowed.