Jerusalem, 24 October, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The Permanent Criminal Court of Nicosia in Cyprus sentenced an Israeli property developer to five years in prison after he was found guilty of usurping Greek Cypriot land in the Turkish-occupied north of the island.
Simon Mistriel Aykut, who is Israeli and also holds Turkish and Portuguese nationality, was convicted of the 40 charges he admitted to relating to ‘fraudulent transactions involving real estate belonging to another person’.
The offences relate to 40 plots of land covering an area of around 400,000 square metres, worth approximately €40 million (around 150 million shekels).
These relate to development projects for five building complexes in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus, namely Agios Amvrosios (Caesar Cliff), Trikomo (Caesar Resort), Gastria (Caesar Beach and Caesar Blue), and Akanthou (Caesar Breeze and Caesar Bay).
In essence, Mr Aykut admitted to offences which constitute usurpation and, under the Cyprus Criminal Code, carry a prison sentence of up to seven years.
As this is the first time in history that the elements of this criminal offence have concerned the misappropriation of Greek Cypriot land, the court’s decision is unprecedented.
Simon Mistriel Aykut has been in custody since June 2024. The sentence imposed on him takes into account the time elapsed since his arrest.
In 1974, the Turkish army overran Northern Cyprus. Almost all the Greek Cypriots there were driven off their lands or fled. The international community does not recognize the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.