AKEL expresses its concerns over the decision to transfer Simon Aykut to Israel

 

13 February 2026, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

When, a few months ago, the government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis announced that Simon Aykut’s conviction for cases of usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied areas sends a strong message to those involved in such transactions, it appears that he did not seem to take into account that very soon, the government’s own actions would nullify its own proclamations.

The government’s decision to transfer and enforce the sentence in Israel, one of the biggest usurpers of Greek Cypriot property in the occupied territories, sets a worrying precedent, conveying a message of tolerance, if not reward, and suggests that the seriousness with which the government treats the usurpation of Greek Cypriot property varies depending on who the perpetrator is. This is all the more so given that it has not yet been answered whether it has been ensured that, after his transfer abroad, the sentence imposed on Simon Aykut will be enforced as provided for in his conviction.

This development follows the recent decision by a French court to reject the execution of a European arrest warrant in a case involving the misappropriation of occupied Greek Cypriot properties. The decision is a legal but also constitutes a political failure with long-term consequences.

The usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied territories and the construction projects in these areas are one of the worst manifestations of the ongoing Turkish occupation, colonization and the unresolved Cyprus problem. It creates new illegal faits accomplis on the ground and at the same time, reminds us that the status quo is fluid and changes, day by day, to the detriment of the Cypriot people and their legitimate interests.

The use of every legal instrument to stop the sale of Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied areas is imperative. At the same time, however, the developments themselves confirm AKEL’s position that the solution of the property issue as regards the Cyprus problem can only be achieved through the effort to resume the negotiations, to achieve a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem on the agreed basis and framework.

12.02.2026