Lefkara mayor Sophocles Sophocleous accused the interior ministry on Thursday of ignoring illegalities involving Turkish Cypriot properties in the town.

“They are turning a blind eye,” he said.

Speaking on both CyBC and Politis radios, Sophocleous claimed that the Turkish Cypriot property management service is failing to act on looting and other irregularities. His remarks came a day after the ministry rejected his earlier allegations, insisting it had enforced “zero tolerance” for illegal appropriation and had acted transparently in managing the properties.

Sophocleous said he has written correspondence informing the authorities about the situation, but has received no response. He described the situation as a “distortion of reality” and a “disgrace”, adding that officials were “liars” and engaged in “political obscenity”.

Related Articles

The mayor said he possesses specific names and evidence of wrongdoing. He invited the ministry to visit Lefkara to receive the information. He also warned that he may take legal action against the interior minister and against locations where looting has occurred, including the Kornos mills.

The interior ministry had rejected the mayor’s allegations the day before. It said it had enforced “zero tolerance” for illegal appropriation of Turkish Cypriot properties and stressed its commitment to transparent and fair management, as well as the protection of refugees’ interests.

The ministry added that funds intended for uninhabited Turkish Cypriot houses in Lefkara had been sent to the municipality but were reportedly used for other purposes, including landscaping. In 2024, the ministry had said works would be carried out directly by the relevant government service, with funds covering its expenses.

Responding to claims of illegalities, the ministry said it had repeatedly requested evidence from the mayor but received none. It also noted that, for the first time in 50 years, island-wide checks on property legality had been conducted, and corrective measures were applied wherever property use did not comply with the law.