The Ministry of the Interior refers to “populism and unsubstantiated public statements,” aimed at creating a certain impression, the Ministry of the Interior has spoken out regarding the allegations made following the meeting of the Refugee Committee, concerning a doctor who works in Germany and owns large tracts of Turkish Cypriot land, which he cultivates as a farmer, while simultaneously receiving a subsidy from the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organization, with the property managed by his father, who is a civil servant.
Specifically, as Committee Chairman Nikos Kettiros stated after the session concluded, “I have also reported to the head of the agency who was present that a complaint was recently brought to my attention alleging that a man who works professionally in Germany as a doctor owns large tracts of Turkish Cypriot land in his name, cultivates them as a farmer while also working in the operating room, and receives subsidies from the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organization.”.
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“This is unacceptable; they must investigate this immediately—not only with regard to the person who owns the property and manages it, but also—I didn’t mention this earlier, but I’m saying it now —his father, who is a civil servant and manages the property. These are substantiated allegations, and I can provide the location to the relevant authorities so they can investigate,” he noted.
READ ALSO: “Doctor in Germany Cultivates Turkish Cypriot Land”: Serious Allegations Before Parliament
The Ministry’s Response
The Ministry of the Interior, in a statement, clarified the situation, stating that “following yesterday’s reports by the Chair and members of the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees, that 1,000 stas of agricultural land were granted to an employee of the Turkish Cypriot Properties Administration, it is clarified that, indeed, 30 years ago, a total area of 150,412,000 square meters had been granted to the family of an employee of the Service in accordance with the procedures in effect at that time.”
It also notes that these contracts will expire in 2024; regarding this specific employee, it states that “he has already retired, and a lease for 31,000 square meters of land remains in effect, which is used for agricultural cultivation.”
“As part of the intensive audits conducted over the past three years and following instructions from the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Konstantinos Ioannou, in his capacity as Custodian of Turkish Cypriot Properties, these contracts were terminated in 2024, a fact of which the Service has repeatedly informed the Committee. As for the Agency employee himself, who has already retired, a lease remains in effect for 31,000 square meters of land, which is used for agricultural cultivation.”
As emphasized, the Turkish Cypriot Properties Management Agency now implements, as a standard practice, a zero-tolerance policy toward any instances of corruption, mismanagement, or circumvention of established procedures.
“We remain at the disposal of Members of Parliament and citizens to provide information transparently. All complaints submitted to the Agency with specific evidence are investigated, and all appropriate measures are taken to restore legality wherever and whenever required.We therefore express our satisfaction at the opportunity we have been given to highlight our ongoing efforts to eliminate such phenomena, within the framework of good governance and the effective protection of Turkish Cypriot properties for the benefit of the refugees, while at the same time refuting any insinuations or attempts to defame individuals or even the Agency’s work as a whole.”
He adds that “populist rhetoric and unsubstantiated public statements, intended to create a certain impression without providing specific evidence to the Service for investigation, do not help our efforts to combat these phenomena.”
See what AKEL MP and Chairman of the Refugee Committee Nikos Kettiros said earlier on the Alpha Kalimera program:
