Male individuals seen on photos that were published recently are included in the missing persons’ list, according to a first assessment made, Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou said on Monday.

He was replying to press questions after the Cabinet meeting that took place at the Presidential retreat in Troodos.

Photiou said that pictures confirm the barbaric stance displayed by the Turkish troops adding that what is important is to locate their burial sites.

According to Photiou, there is some information on burial sites in occupied Lapithos but went on to clarify that there is nothing concrete right now.

He said that all evidence is being evaluated by governmental authorities, calling on Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to come forward and give any information they might have. He said that every little detail or evidence might be extremely important for the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP).

The Commissioner also said that it is important for the international community to show interest in the issue, that is clearly a humanitarian one and not political, as it does for the missing in Ukraine.

Photiou said that the majority of the parents of the missing persons are no longer alive adding that their spouses and siblings are also passing away. He noted that 48 years after the Turkish invasion we are still searching for the fate of more than 750 of the missing persons, pointing out that time is our biggest enemy. He also called on the international community to exert pressure on Ankara to cooperate.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. 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 to their relatives the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.

According to statistical data published on the CMP website by August 1, 2022 out of 2002 missing persons 1,185 were exhumed and 1,027 were identified. Out of 1510 Greek Cypriot missing persons 735 were identified and 775 are still missing. Out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons 292 were identified and 200 are still missing.

Source: Parikiaki.com