Cyprus: Cyprus' Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, Nicholas Ioannides, emphasized the government's dedication to uncovering the fate of missing persons and striving for a fair resolution of the Cyprus issue. He delivered these remarks during a memorial service in Larnaca for individuals from Peristeronopigi, a village in the Famagusta district under Turkish occupation, who were killed, murdered, or remain missing.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Ioannides declared, "We do not accept oblivion. We do not compromise with the occupation. We never consider the fate of any missing person a closed issue." In his address, the Deputy Minister highlighted the state's ongoing support for displaced persons and the families affected by the 1974 Turkish invasion, emphasizing the importance of preserving historical memory. He acknowledged the significant toll paid by Peristeronopigi during the 1974 events, with 33 individuals either killed or still unaccounted for, and praised the community's enduring contribution to national struggles.
Ioannides also reassured the government's commitment to a "just and viable" solution that would enable displaced residents to return safely to their ancestral homes. Despite decades of displacement, he noted, the community has maintained its identity and traditions, asserting that "displacement did not erase the identity of the place." The memorial service was held at the Church of Saint Thekla in Larnaca as part of the commemoration for local victims.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 following the Turkish invasion, which led to the occupation of 37% of its territory. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown. A Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) was established through an agreement between the leaders of the two communities, tasked with exhuming, identifying, and returning to their families 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 March 31, 1,714 out of 2,002 missing persons were exhumed, and 1,069 were identified. Of the 1,510 Greek Cypriot missing persons, 764 were identified, and 746 remain missing. Additionally, out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons, 305 were identified, and 187 are still missing.