The cabinet approved a decision allowing Greek Cypriot refugees living in government housing with planning irregularities to obtain title deeds or lease certificates, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Thursday.

Following the 1974 Turkish invasion, over 200,000 Greek Cypriots were displaced from the north. The Republic built estates (sinikismoi) to house displaced individuals and families transitioning them from state-owned to private ownership, with deeds granted to residents following a cabinet decision (after 2007).

Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Ioannou said the decision concerns beneficiaries who until now “did not have the possibility of securing title deeds due to planning interventions and irregularities in their properties”.

Under the new, more flexible procedure approved following a proposal by the interior ministry, title deeds or lease certificates will be issued in line with the process applied to unauthorised works. “In essence,” he said, “titles will be issued with a note that irregularities exist, and these titles will not be usable for sale purposes, but they will be able to be used for inheritance purposes or, if accepted by banks, for mortgage purposes.”

He added that the titles will include a prohibition on transfer for sale until the irregularities are resolved.

According to Ioannou, 7,859 title deeds or lease certificates are currently pending, including 838 cases where beneficiaries were previously ineligible due to interventions affecting neighbouring properties, public spaces or planning violations within their plots.

So far, 17,418 title deeds or lease certificates have been issued to beneficiaries in government refugee housing estates and self-housing schemes.

“With today’s decision, the injustice suffered for years by our refugee compatriots living in government housing estates and self-housing is being addressed, compared to owners of private units,” Ioannou said.

He added that the decision forms part of a broader refugee housing policy, under which the government has implemented “significant reforms and actions aimed at fair, transparent and equal treatment of displaced persons”.

Among these, he cited reforms in the management and allocation of Turkish Cypriot properties, changes to housing schemes, and efforts to address long-standing issues such as unsafe buildings in refugee settlements through the ‘Ktizo’ scheme.

Asked about progress on the Ktizo scheme, Ioannou said it is “progressing quite well”, with the first two apartment buildings expected to be delivered within the month and a further four within the year.

He noted, however, that implementation depends on beneficiaries themselves. “Unfortunately, in some cases there are delays from the beneficiaries in deciding to proceed,” he said, adding that while all projects started at the same point, some are nearing completion while others remain at early stages.

The new buildings, he added, include more apartments and therefore replace a greater number of older structures.

Commenting on reports regarding checks on leases of Turkish Cypriot properties granted to Paphos municipality, Ioannou said investigations revealed that various actions had been taken which were subsequently legalised under the previous legislative framework.

“These included demolitions or interventions carried out before agreements were concluded,” he said. “In some cases we have proceeded with recoveries, in others we have already increased the rent,” he added.

Ioannou stressed that recent legislative amendments have removed the discretionary powers previously held by the guardian and the interior minister, meaning such practices “cannot occur anymore”.

He clarified that cases legalised under the previous framework cannot now be altered.

“Through the amendment of the legislation, in cooperation with the House refugee committee, we have ensured that the management of Turkish Cypriot properties is now carried out with transparency, meritocracy and objective, measurable criteria,” he said.

He added that checks carried out over the past 2.5 years had identified 512 violations in commercial properties and around 90 involving local authorities, with some cases already taken to court. Authorities are currently examining all lease agreements concerning residential and holiday Turkish Cypriot properties, he said