The interior ministry has dismissed allegations that it had mishandled Turkish Cypriot property in Lefkara, saying that on the contrary it showed “zero tolerance for the illegal appropriation of Turkish Cypriot property”.

The government’s main concern was the proper management of Turkish Cypriot property in a transparent and fair manner, the ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.

It added that it was also working to ensure equal treatment and to safeguard the interests of the refugees.

Replying to allegations made by the mayor of Lefkara, the interior ministry said that the fund for Turkish Cypriot property included a special fund for supporting uninhabited Turkish Cypriot houses in Lefkara and this money was sent to the municipality.

However, it appeared that the municipality had not been using the funds for the intended purpose and had allocated them to other projects, such as landscaping.

For this reason, it was decided that as of 2024 the works would be carried out by the appropriate government service and the funds would be used to cover its expenses.

Referring to remarks by the mayor that there had been illegalities, the interior ministry said it had not received evidence from the mayor, despite repeatedly requesting it.

It added that for the first time in 50 years island-wide legality checks had been carried out and measures were being wherever the use of property did not fall under the law.