Nicosia: Deputy Minister for Tourism, Costas Koumis, emphasized on Sunday that the humanitarian issue of missing persons remains a critical aspect of the Cyprus problem. His remarks were made during the funeral of Theodoros Adamou Koumis, a victim of the 1974 Turkish invasion whose remains were recently identified after being missing for decades.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Deputy Minister Koumis highlighted the persistent challenges posed by Turkey's stance on this issue. Despite these challenges, the government is committed to determining the fate of all missing persons. The Deputy Minister reaffirmed that resolving the Cyprus problem is the government's top priority and that efforts are aligned with United Nations decisions and EU principles.
Koumis expressed the government's unwavering dedication to a functional and sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem. He emphasized the importance of ensuring respect for the missing persons' issue within any potential resolution. The Deputy Minister conveyed a message of cautious optimism, underscoring that any sustainable solution must address the humanitarian concerns effectively.
The Cyprus conflict has left the island divided since 1974, with Turkish troops occupying 37% of the territory. The fate of hundreds remains unresolved. A Committee on Missing Persons was established to address this issue, working to exhume, identify, and return the remains of missing individuals from both communities, including 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots from the conflicts of 1963-1964 and 1974.