Nicosia:Establishing the fate of missing persons remains an outstanding duty of the state, Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection Nicholas Ioannides emphasized on Sunday. He was delivering a memorial address on behalf of the President of the Republic at the annual national memorial service for the heroes and martyrs of the Troulloi community.

According to Cyprus News Agency, Ioannides stated that a just, viable, and functional solution to the Cyprus problem, in accordance with international and European law, remains a top priority for the government. He noted that efforts are underway to turn diplomatic momentum into a meaningful resumption of negotiations.

Ioannides also highlighted the importance of the work done by the Committee on Missing Persons and other contributors in locating, exhuming, and scientifically identifying remains to return them to families. He stressed that Turkey has an obligation to cooperate meaningfully by granting access to the archives of the occupying army and providing information on burial sites and the transfer of remains.

The Deputy Minister asserted that the search for missing persons cannot be abandoned, and the passage of time only makes its fulfillment more urgent. Families have the right to evidence-based answers about the fate of their loved ones and the war crimes committed by the Turkish army.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, following the invasion and occupation of 37% of its territory by Turkish troops. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown. A Committee on Missing Persons was established to exhume, identify, and return 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.

As of September 30, statistical data from the CMP website indicates that out of 2,002 missing persons, 1,721 were exhumed and 1,085 identified. Among the 1,510 Greek Cypriot missing persons, 765 were identified, leaving 745 still missing. Similarly, out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons, 320 were identified and 172 remain unaccounted for.