Mass sanitary violations detected in Nicosia: 27 businesses temporarily closed

The Nicosia Municipality (Lefkoşa Türk Belediyesi) published the results of a large-scale inspection of food service and service enterprises conducted by the public health department. The inspections covered 200 establishments — restaurants, bars, cafés, bakeries, beauty salons, markets, grocery warehouses, and school canteens.

As a result of the inspections, eight establishments received written warnings, 27 were temporarily closed, one establishment had products confiscated, and in two cases, goods deemed unfit were destroyed. Major violations concerned sanitary standards, food storage and quality, absence of medical cards for employees, as well as operations without licenses and permits.

The municipality reminded that all businesses operating within the city are required to have an official activity permit. Owners who did not register or renew their license on time will be fined an amount equal to one minimum wage. In addition, for the absence of a medical card for an employee, a fine of 50% of the minimum wage is imposed.

The authorities urged citizens to report cases of sanitary and licensing violations via the hotline Alo 185. The municipality emphasized that inspections will continue during daytime and evening hours, especially before the winter season, when the workload on food establishments increases. The goal is to ensure the safety and quality of services provided, as well as to protect the health of city residents.