Administrative Court upholds ban on Turkish Cypriot property sale due to occupation of Greek Cypriot land

The Administrative Court of Cyprus has upheld a 2020 decision by the Minister of the Interior, acting as the Guardian of Turkish Cypriot Properties, to block an 88-year-old Turkish Cypriot man from selling three plots of land in Mouttagiaka, Limassol. The court ruled that the applicant, who had inherited the land from his father in 2015, failed to meet the conditions required for lifting guardianship controls.

Intelligence reports from the Central Intelligence Service (KYP) revealed that the applicant had been occupying and building on Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied territories, including a home in Karavas and an apartment complex in Kyrenia. Despite the applicant claiming permanent residency in London, satellite data, title deeds, and local plans confirmed his regular presence in the occupied north. Consequently, the Ministry rejected his requests three times, and the court validated these findings, confirming that he remains under the restrictions imposed by the Guardian of Turkish Cypriot Properties.