The Government will thoroughly look into the information given by a Turkish Cypriot to Greek newspaper “Politis“ regarding Greek Cypriot missing persons whose remains are thought to have been moved to a certain locations in the occupied village of Assia in the early 1990s.
Greek Cypriot member of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) Nestoras Nestoros told CNA that the procedure of confirming the information will begin soon. At the same time, the Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Issues Photis Photiou in statements to CNA said that the information published at “Politis“ newspaper highlights three important issues, first that the recent call by the two leaders as regard the missing persons has yielded results, second that CMP has the obligations to examine the information and request further data by the Turkish side and third the fact that there might has been a transfer of human remains.
Regarding the procedure to be followed, Nestoros told CNA that as soon as possible he, accompanied by a reporter of “Politis“ will visit the site where human remains are thought to be transferred. At the same time the Turkish Cypriot member to the CMP will be briefed and an effort will be made to acquire as more data as possible on the particular location and the land there.
He furthermore said that a paper will be prepared to be submitted to the CMP asking for an excavation phase to start.
In his statements to CNA, Commissioner Photiou said that once this information was given to the newspaper and the competent authorities, we have an obligation to investigate it and see whether it can be confirmed. This process, he said, can only be done via CMP.
Photiou said that he has discussed the issue with the Foreign Minister and that our position is that CMP should inquire information and an update by the Turkish Cypriot side. He pointed out that the information is very specific and thus the T/c side cannot refuse to examine it.
The Commissioner said that if the information is confirmed, another important aspect of the missing persons issue is highlighted, that of the relocation of human remains.
According to the CMP, a total of 104 persons were searched for in the region of Assia, thought to have gone missing at that particular area. Only 80 have been identified.
The information given to “Politis“ newspaper refers to the existence of a certain location in the region of Assia where in the early 1990s the remains of more than 100 Greek Cypriot missing persons were relocated.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown.
A Committee on Missing Persons was established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning the remains of missing persons to their relatives.