The government has intensified its efforts with a view to curb the Turkish intransigence and refusal to cooperate with a view to address the issue of missing persons, which Turkey itself has created, something which causes more pain and suffering to the missing persons’ families, Presidential Commissioner, Photis Photiou said on Wednesday in Athens.
Speaking during the decoration of a Christmas tree dedicated to the missing persons, at Syntagma Square, Photiou said that the government wants clear and complete answers for all the relatives as regards the disappearance of their beloved persons, which Turkey must provide. He added that Ankara refuses all these years to work in a sincere way and with good will, with a view to establish the fate of all missing persons.
Photiou also underlined that powerful countries, the UN, the EU have the duty to undertake humanitarian initiatives to end this tragedy.
He also expressed, on behalf of Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, unwavering and sincere support to the families of the missing persons, assuring that the government continues to work with a view to restore the human rights of all missing persons and their families.
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.
Source: Cyprus News Agency