President Nicos Anastasiades has announced that the Cabinet decided to approve the funding of 200,000 euros to be used for the recruitment of researchers who will work intensively to search the archives of UN and other countries and collect information on the missing persons.
The President who was speaking during a ceremony that took place at the Presidential Palace on Thursday evening, to honour the relatives of 220 missing persons, said that the decision was taken yesterday, during the Cabinet meeting.
Anastasiades said that there are 617 civilians who were recorded as missing during the 1974 Turkish invasion, out of which only 155 have been identified. He pointed out that the majority of their relatives live in agony and demand answers.
He said that the issue of missing persons is regarded as a war crime and for 42 years information has been concealed and responsibilities are still to be delivered.
The President said that all these years Turkey has been demonstrating an unacceptable and inhumane attitude. He said that remains of missing persons have been removed from the burial sites and added that the last year the identification process has been slowed down, after many years which were considered productive.
He recalled that he visited the CMP anthropological lab along with T/c leader Mustafa Akinci in order to send messages that the efforts need to be intensified and that they both called on anyone who has information on missing persons to come forward and and give this information to the authorities without fear.
President Anastasiades also said that due to the actions and efforts taken abroad, Turkey has allowed the research in 30 sites which are regarded military zones, within the next three years. He called on Turkey to cooperate and allow the research to take place so that the the final exhumation can take place.
The President also pointed out that useful information is included in classified documents and archives of many countries and the UN , adding that it is disappointing for an international organisation to conceal information.
The President said that the issue of missing persons is a very important one in the peace talks that are currently underway and he assured once again that he will spare no efforts so that the fate of each one of the missing persons is clarified.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. As a result of the invasion, many Greek Cypriots and Greeks were listed as missing.
A Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) was established, upon agreement between the leaders of the island`s two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning the remains of missing persons to their relatives.
CNA/MF/KCH/GV/2016
