The Republic of Cyprus has launched a comprehensive overhaul of the way Turkish-Cypriot assets are distributed to Greek-Cypriot refugees and their descendants. Starting in July 2025, a points-based allocation model replaces the former discretionary system that relied on the personal judgment of individual guardians. The new legal framework links each applicant’s social and economic profile to a transparent score, ensuring that the selection of beneficiaries can be verified and audited. Objective criteria such as family size, income level and special needs now determine who receives a former Turkish-Cypriot property, aiming to eliminate the “gaps and weaknesses” that plagued the old regime.
Audit results show tighter control over commercial and municipal leases
Alongside the scoring overhaul, the Ministry of Interior has intensified the review of existing lease contracts. Over the past three years, officials examined 4,032 commercial leases, uncovering 512 breaches; 79 premises have already been reclaimed by the state and further legal steps are pending for the remainder. A parallel audit of 864 agreements with local authorities identified 78 violations, leading to eight terminations and compliance actions in 45 cases. These figures illustrate the government’s belief that systematic monitoring is a cornerstone of a meritocratic property regime. When a contract is cancelled, the property’s details are published so interested parties can submit bids within the new points system, maximizing revenue for the guardian fund and, ultimately, the displaced community.
Summer-home owners press for inheritance of Turkish-Cypriot houses
In the southern parliament’s “Migrants” committee, representatives of Greek-Cypriot families who have used former Turkish-Cypriot houses as summer retreats argued for the right to pass these dwellings to their children. The discussion highlighted pressure on the Kıbrıs Türk Malları Vasiliği (Turkish-Cypriot Property administration) to recognise such inter-generational transfers. Proposals on the table include allowing the first-generation owner to bequeath the property to a close relative, provided the heir continues to cover maintenance costs. A further suggestion would let owners transfer usage rights to their children without triggering additional state housing assistance, thereby preventing duplicate benefits.
The administration also flagged that several of these summer homes are in a state of disrepair, and they will remain classified as “vacant” until proper restoration or formal inheritance procedures are completed. In addition to residential units, the committee examined the fate of Turkish-Cypriot commercial premises, debating whether first-generation owners could pass business locations to their offspring under similar criteria. All proposals aim to balance the heritage rights of displaced families with the need to protect public assets from neglect.
Turkish inheritance law and its impact on UK-based owners
For British citizens who own property in Turkey—or who have Turkish ancestry—the succession process is governed by a blend of Turkish and English legal principles. Turkish law automatically applies to any immovable asset located in Turkey, regardless of the owner’s nationality, while English law governs movable assets such as bank accounts. Under the Turkish Civil Code, inheritance follows a three-tier hierarchy: first the children (and their descendants), then the parents (and their descendants), and finally the grandparents (and their descendants). The surviving spouse always receives a portion, ranging from one-quarter to three-quarters of the estate, depending on which relative groups are alive.
Turkish statutes also protect a “reserved share” (saklı pay) for close relatives, meaning a will cannot completely disinherit children, parents or a spouse without meeting strict legal thresholds. An English will may be recognized in Turkey if it complies with the 1961 Hague Convention, but it must still respect these reserved shares. Many owners therefore draft a separate Turkish will to handle local assets, ensuring that the document’s scope is clearly defined and does not unintentionally override the English testament. After death, heirs must obtain a certificate of inheritance, file a tax return, and register the title at the Turkish Land Registry. They also have a three-month window to renounce the inheritance if the estate carries undesirable liabilities.
