Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou on Monday hailed the government’s new system of allocating property which belongs to Turkish Cypriots who fled northwards during and after 1974, with those properties now being allocated to Greek Cypriots who fled in the opposite direction and their descendants via a points-based system.

“For decades, the way Turkish Cypriot property was allocated and managed presented gaps and weaknesses, particularly in terms of decision-making. The heavy reliance on the discretion of each guardian and the absence of adequate control mechanisms created a system which did not meet the demands of modern society,” he said.

He added that it was for this reason that “the government chose to address this reality with a comprehensive plan”.

“The implementation, from July 2025, of the new legislative framework constituted a significant breakthrough, as for the first time, a comprehensive redesign of the way in which Turkish Cypriot properties are allocated, controlled and utilised is being attempted,” he said.

He added that “the philosophy of the reform is clear”, and that “from a model which relied heavily on subjective judgment and discretion, we are moving to a system based on clear, objective, measurable and verifiable data”.

“The establishment of points based on specific social and economic criteria ensures a more objective and transparent process of selecting beneficiaries,” he said.

More than 4,000 contracts audited

Additionally, he said, the government is “placing particular emphasis on auditing existing contracts and addressing violations of their terms”.

“In the last three years, 4,032 lease contracts for commercial premises have been audited, 512 violations were identified, 79 premises were brought back under government control, while in other cases, compliance procedures or legal procedures are in progress,” he said.

He added that at the same time, “864 lease contracts for properties granted to local authorities have been audited”, and that of those contracts, “78 violations were identified, eight were terminated, and compliance measures were taken in 45 cases”.

“This data confirms in practice that systematic monitoring and checking are necessary elements of modern and meritocratic management,” he said.

He also pointed out that Turkish Cypriot properties which are brought back under the state’s control after contracts are terminated have their details published, so that those interested can bid for them in line with the points-based system.

In addition, he said that “a new bidding process is being implemented for Turkish Cypriot property of high value, with the aim of merit-based concession and ensuring the maximum possible financial benefit for the guardian’s fund and, by extension, the displaced community”.