Nicosia: It is imperative to have substantive progress in the investigation to locate our missing persons, Minister of Interior of the Republic of Cyprus, Constantinos Ioannou, has stressed, adding that the Committee on Missing Persons has reached a deadlock due to Turkey's intransigent stance. Speaking on Monday evening at the photographic exhibition by Christoforos Skarparis titled 'Digging for Peace,' the Minister noted that the position of the Greek Cypriot side on the humanitarian issue of the missing persons is clear and is based on European and International Law.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the issue of the missing persons, the most tragic aspect of the Cyprus problem, is primarily a human rights issue. "The truth about the fate of their beloved ones is a non-negotiable right for every family," the Minister emphasized. It is for this reason, he continued, that the government's efforts continue with determination.
"We utilize all diplomatic means at our disposal, demanding the clarification of the fate of our missing persons. We exert pressure in every direction, with the sole aim of finding out the truth for each of our compatriots who are still missing," he stressed. He noted that the solution to the Cyprus problem must ensure full respect for the issue of the missing persons.
It is imperative, he pointed out, that there be substantive progress in the investigation to locate the remains and to lift the impasse, which the Committee of Missing Persons has reached, due to Turkey's refusal to cooperate. 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 September 30, 2025, out of 2,002 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.