Filenews 20 January 2026 - by Vassos Vassiliou
Turkish Cypriot premises in Lefkara are used for drug trafficking, some are illegally occupied, and for others their users (even illegal) ask for money to leave them and in one case a demand of €15,000 was submitted and in the second €25,000.
The above was denounced before the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees by the Mayor of Lefkara, Mr. Sophocles Sophocleous.
In more detail, Mr. Sophocleous stated the following: We know who owns the Turkish Cypriot houses. Some with a name and surname own up to three houses. Others who own Turkish Cypriot homes are making demands for money to be abandoned so that they can be given to others.
The officials asked me for information and I told them to come to my office and give it to you. A Turkish Cypriot house owner, who does not legally own it, asked a girl for €25,000. Another owner of a Turkish Cypriot residence asked a refugee girl, who is pregnant, for €15.000. The data is at the disposal of the Parliament and the Police.
There are houses that are abandoned and in them there may be drug trafficking.
I suggested to those in charge to come and record the Turkish Cypriot houses and properties, so that we can find out who are beneficiaries and publish them so that beneficiaries can express interest.
If the pending issues are not settled, I will take the law into my own hands and violate the locks to give them to beneficiaries in need, the mayor added.
On behalf of the Turkish Cypriot Property Management Service, Ms. Karekla, stated that there are 88 premises. Of these, 59 concern residences, 11 are commercial premises while another 18 are uninhabited. Illegalities were also detected in four business premises and 22 residences. The illegalities range from non-payment of rent to other breaches of contracts. A total of 18 of the 59 houses are uninhabited. So far, three letters of recovery of properties have been sent.
