Defence Ministry regains control of key military properties

The move forms part of the Ministry of National Defence’s strategy to rationalize the management of the Armed Forces’ real estate assets, aiming to maximize added value for the Housing Program, which constitutes a central pillar of the suite of measures supporting military families.

Specifically, through Joint Ministerial Decisions signed by the Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, and the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Thanasis Davakis, two properties of the “Karaiskakis” military camp in Attica were returned to the ownership of the Ministry of National Defence.

The two properties have a combined area of 114,363 square meters and had been transferred free of charge to the local authorities 34 and 19 years ago, respectively; however, the conditions of the transfers had not been fulfilled. The total area of the military camp is 3,352.39 stremmata (approx. 835 acres).

The “Karaiskakis” camp is included in the government’s land allocation program for residential construction. Under the plan, 58 building complexes of 12 apartments each are to be constructed on the site, amounting to approximately 700 new residences in total.

The program also encompasses the development of land at the “Ziaka” camp in the Municipality of Kordelio–Evosmos, Thessaloniki, where 600 apartments will be built, as well as the “Manousogiannakis” camp in Patras, where 150 stremmata will be converted into a residential area comprising 720 apartments.

According to the Ministry, the effective utilization of properties that remained unused or were not employed in accordance with the terms of their transfers is considered critical for accelerating the development of new housing infrastructure and improving the living conditions of Armed Forces personnel. The return of the properties strengthens the available portfolio of the National Defence Fund and creates additional opportunities for implementing projects with social and economic impact, at a time when the rational management of public assets is a central priority of economic policy.

A key aspect is the direct link to the Armed Forces’ Housing Program, which aims to:

-create new housing for military personnel,

-support relocating families, and

-reduce housing costs, particularly in high-cost areas.