Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs Fotis Fotiou said on Saturday that the continuous refusal of Turkey to cooperate in efforts to determine the fate of missing persons is “a challenge to all civilized humanity”.
He was speaking in Limassol, during the funeral of the remains of Christofi Loizou, who died during the 1974 Turkish invasion and was until recently included in the list of missing persons.
“The crimes committed during the Turkish invasion comprise serious human rights violations, as international courts have declared” Fotiou underlined.
He added that the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) is facing enormous challenges, being unable to locate in the areas that are under Turkish occupation, additional remains belonging to Greeks and Greek Cypriots. If this carries on, the work of CMP will be affected, Fotiou has said.
Moreover, he urged for local and international assistance in the effort to persuade Turkey to finally cooperate after 42 years in this humanitarian matter.
The Greek Cypriot side and the government of Cyprus are exerting every effort to terminate Turkey`s occupation and to reunite the country, by reaching a compromise in line with the acqui communautaire, said Fotiou.
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 has been 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.
CNA/AAG/AGK/EC/2016
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
