DISY deputy and vice-president George Karoullas has defended his party’s decision to table, just 10 months before parliamentary elections, a bill creating a National Fund for Loss of Use of Occupied Properties. Speaking to Politis, Karoullas described the initiative as a long-overdue step to support landowners who have been deprived of their property rights in the occupied areas for 51 years.
He argued that the measure is not a privilege but a constitutional necessity to correct what he called “an indirect form of discrimination” against thousands of displaced property owners. “The Fund seeks to heal a constitutional inequality. It is not preferential treatment, it is institutional recognition of proven damage caused by the Turkish invasion and occupation,” he said.
Why Now?
The proposal was submitted to parliament in July and will be debated by the Refugee Committee next Tuesday. Critics have questioned the timing, but Karoullas cited five reasons:
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More than five decades after the invasion, there has been no official recognition of the economic loss.
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Organized groups and property owners have consistently raised the issue.
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The first displaced generations are ageing, while younger ones have never seen their properties, making this a matter of intergenerational justice.
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Without action, more Greek Cypriots may be tempted to apply to the Turkish-occupied Compensation Commission.
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The state’s financial situation is stable enough today to support the initiative without endangering fiscal balance.
Why Not During DISY’s Tenure in Power?
Karoullas acknowledged that DISY had governed for a decade without tabling such a measure, but said this was due to several factors: the long-held expectation that the Cyprus problem would soon be resolved; fiscal constraints during successive crises; and political hesitation to tackle a sensitive issue with significant financial implications.
“Successive governments lacked the courage,” he admitted, adding that during the Anastasiades administration the priority was to save the economy after the 2013 financial collapse, the pandemic, and fallout from the war in Ukraine.
Pre-Election Motives?
Asked whether the bill is a vote-grabbing exercise, Karoullas rejected the suggestion. “The timing of a bill should not be judged by petty political terms, but by its necessity and social content,” he said.
According to Karoullas, the Fund responds to a longstanding demand that transcends electoral cycles. “The proposal does not lose its value because of when it was submitted. Addressing such a national issue cannot depend on elections or party strategies. On the contrary, early debate allows all parties to take a position and support real solutions for property owners who cannot use their land.”