Nicosia: The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) is resolute in employing all available technological advancements and innovative methods to locate potential burial sites of missing individuals on the island. This initiative gains urgency as time diminishes, testimonies become scarce, and the relatives of the missing continue to pass away, adding layers of complexity to an already challenging mission.
According to Cyprus News Agency, CMP has invited four experts from the USA and Canada to Cyprus, along with their assistants, to utilize Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) methods. These experts conducted thorough investigations in four distinct areas across the Republic and the occupied regions, seeking human remains from the 1974 Turkish invasion and the 1963-64 intercommunal violence. Among the experts were Professor Harry Jol from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Eric Johnson, a Senior Geoscientist from BGC Engineering in Calgary, Canada. Their coll
aborative efforts were conducted pro bono, with CMP covering travel and accommodation expenses.
Professor Jol, on his third visit to Cyprus, aims to assess the reliability of these methods for CMP’s potential future acquisition of specialized equipment and training for archaeologists. The visiting scientists are preparing a comprehensive report, and based on their findings, CMP will determine whether to proceed with excavations.
The investigation began in occupied Nicosia, near the prison department, based on information suggesting a mass burial site of Greek Cypriots from the 1974 period. CMP has previously identified two mass burial sites in this area and is exploring the possibility of a third. In Agia Eirini village, located in occupied Kyrenia, the scientists revisited a site previously excavated without results but believed to contain two Turkish Cypriots potentially buried there in 1974.
The third research site was Assia village, situated in the Turkish-occupied areas, between the Turkish Cypriot ce
metery and the Green Cypriot one. CMP’s previous excavations yielded six sets of remains, but more individuals are believed to be buried similarly. The final site was Athalassa, Nicosia, near a park where an elderly Greek Cypriot reported the burial of two Turkish Cypriots in 1964. Despite prior inconclusive investigations, the testimony’s reliability and satellite map analysis prompted further exploration using the new methods.
CMP’s ongoing efforts extend to Galateia pond in Karpasia and the village of Komi, where Greek Cypriot civilians went missing post-August 1974. The dry pond, with its muddy subsoil, is a preferred search site during favorable weather conditions. Despite past searches, including wells, no conclusive results have been obtained.
Professor Harry Jol explained to Cyprus News Agency the GPR method, which uses FM radio waves to detect subsurface disturbances, indicating potential burial sites. This technique helps prioritize excavation sites by identifying areas with more potential for yie
lding results. Jol expressed willingness to continue collaborating with CMP, highlighting the importance of technological advancement in archaeological searches.
Eric Johnson’s expertise in ERT involves injecting current at different spacings to image subsurface materials. The technique identifies disturbed zones that may indicate burial sites. Johnson and his team plan to share their findings in a detailed report.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, following Turkey’s invasion and occupation of its northern third. Despite numerous UN-led peace talks, no resolution has been reached. The CMP, established through an agreement between community leaders, aims to exhume, identify, and return the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots who went missing during the intercommunal violence of 1963-1964 and 1974.