Waqf Administration Calls for Urgent Measures at the Laguna Complex in Famagusta

The Cyprus Waqf Administration (EVKAF) has called on the authorities of the TRNC and the public to take immediate measures regarding the Deniz Yıldızı residential complex, known in Famagusta as “Laguna”. The appeal follows official expert reports documenting risks related to the current condition of the buildings.

In a written statement, the agency said that protecting people from threats to human life in a timely manner is everyone’s responsibility. Legal proceedings concerning the complex are continuing; however, the administration stressed that “no legal or administrative process is more important than human life”.

According to the agency, the risks have been known for a long time, and signs warning of danger to life and property have been installed at the site. The administration called on all authorised bodies to carry out the necessary assessment of the buildings’ condition and take measures as quickly as possible, placing people’s safety above all else.

The statement noted that the tragic events of recent days had caused deep grief in society, while the pain over the “Champion Angels” continues to live in people’s hearts. This is how Northern Cyprus refers to the young female volleyball players from Famagusta and the adults accompanying them who died when the İsias Hotel collapsed in Adıyaman, Turkey, during the earthquake in February 2023.

Kıbrıs Vakıflar İdaresi — the Cyprus Waqf Administration — is one of the oldest agencies in Northern Cyprus, overseeing waqf, that is, religious and charitable, property, including land and real estate.