Decade-long expropriation dispute in Rhodope raised in Greek Parliament
Rhodope MP Özgür Ferhat, together with fellow MPs from the New Left parliamentary group, has submitted a new parliamentary question regarding land that was expropriated nearly ten years ago for the Komotini–Bulgaria road project but for which compensation has yet to be paid.
In a public statement, Ferhat highlighted that although the expropriations were carried out on the grounds of public interest, the legal procedures were not completed in time, rendering the process legally invalid. Despite the elapsed time, no payments have been made to rightful landowners, he noted.
Ferhat referred to a previous parliamentary question submitted in 2024, to which the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport had responded, citing Opinion No. 10/2023 of the State Legal Council (NSK). The Ministry had assured that the compensation process would be initiated and that it would include the affected landowners along the Komotini–Bulgaria route.
He also reminded the public that in May 2024, the General Directorate of Infrastructure Expropriation, Mapping, and Geographic Information Systems (D25) had reportedly begun working on the issue in cooperation with other public bodies. However, no tangible progress has been observed since, Ferhat stressed.
The MP reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing the issue in Parliament until the grievances of affected citizens are addressed and resolved.
The parliamentary question submitted to the competent Ministry includes the following inquiries:
- Will compensation be paid to landowners affected by the expropriations along the Komotini–Bulgaria road? If so, when and by what process?
- Will a specific and binding opinion be sought from the State Legal Council regarding this particular case?
- What actions has the D25 Directorate undertaken to date?
- Are measures such as ENFIA tax refunds or exemptions under consideration to mitigate the financial harm suffered by landowners?
