Nicosia: The House of Representatives will continue to support the work of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) in every way possible, President of the House, Annita Demetriou, said. She also proposed to President of Hellenic Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis that October 29 be established as a Day of Remembrance for the Missing Persons of the Cyprus tragedy by the Greek Parliament. Demetriou was addressing a memorial service for those who fell during the Turkish invasion of 1974 and the prayer for finding out the fate of missing persons in Cyprus at the Cathedral of Apostle Barnabas, in Nicosia.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the missing persons of 1974, soldiers and civilians, women and children, are the most tragic aspect of the Cyprus problem. Demetriou highlighted that despite repeated calls from the Greek Cypriot side for information that would shed light on their fate, the Turkish side continues to refuse to cooperate and blatantly ignores the resolutions of the UN, the Council of Europe, and international organisations calling for transparency and justice, defying fundamental principles and international declarations on human rights.
She further noted that during the recent first official visit of the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Nikitas Kaklamanis, to Cyprus, she personally raised the issue of establishing October 29 as a Day of Remembrance for the Missing Persons of the Cyprus tragedy by the Greek Parliament as well, adding that the House of Representatives is in constant communication with the Hellenic Parliament so that this initiative can be successful.
“Ascertaining the fate of the missing persons is not only a matter for their relatives, but a duty of the entire state. It is a duty of justice, dignity, and humanity, which requires that the whole truth be told,” she pointed out.
Demetriou pledged that “as the House of Representatives, we will continue to support in every way the work of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus, with the aim of intensifying efforts, accelerating the pace, and enhancing the effectiveness of the investigations, as time is running out and hundreds of families are eagerly awaiting to find out the fate of their loved ones.”
“Today, we honour the memory of those who fell in 1974, pray for the missing, and renew our commitment to continue the struggle for a free, united, and peaceful Cyprus, without occupying troops, barbed wire or a Buffer Zone, a homeland that belongs to all its legitimate citizens, with respect for human rights, international principles and European values,” she added.
“It is our duty to teach younger generations about sacrifice, patriotism, and humanity, so that the traces of history are not lost to oblivion. Peace and justice are not given freely; they are founded on truth, consistency, and unity,” she concluded.
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.
According to statistical data published on the CMP website by August 31, 2025 out of 2002 missing persons 1,707 were exhumed and 1,057 were identified. Out of 1,510 Greek Cypriot missing persons 761 were identified and 749 are still missing. Out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons 296 were identified and 196 are still missing.