In an extremely emotional speech at the European Parliament in Brussels Thursday, MEP Isabel Santos send the message that even if she is not re-elected in the upcoming elections in June, she will carry on the struggle for the missing persons in Cyprus. Santos is the special rapporteur for the missing in Cyprus and visited the island a couple of times where she held contacts and saw first hand the work of the scientists at the anthropological lab where remains of the missing are identified and returned to the families for a proper burial. She spoke about her experiences during a special screening of the documentary 'Roll Call of the Missing' at the European Parliament, in the presence of director Constantinos Patsalides and producer/screenwriter George Avraam, as the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Turkish invasion approaches. The screening was organized by MEP Costas Mavrides and brief speeches were delivered by the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Mark Angel, MEP Isabel Santos, and the Director of the Commission's Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support, Judit Rozsa. The event was attended by MEPs, representatives from various European institutions, academics, foreign and Cypriot journalists and relatives of the missing. Mavrides said that the documentary, which was made on his initiative to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the illegal Turkish invasion of 1974 in Cyprus, with the support of his political group, focuses on the ongoing drama of the missing in Cyprus and the urgent need to determine their fate, highlighting at the same time the need for necessary cooperation by Turkey to speed up the process. The MEP announced that "Euronews" requested to show the documentary. In his greeting, the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Mark Angel, pointed out that the issue of missing persons in Cyprus is a crucial humanitarian issue that concerns not only Cyprus, but the entire EU, and the European Parliament is a firm supporter through specific initiatives. He also referred to the Euro pean Parliament's clear position calling on Turkey to provide access to military archives and military zones, to end the transfer of remains from mass graves and to comply with international law and ECtHR rulings. MEP Santos thanked the director and the screenwriter for their excellent work. She said that they could all deliver great political speeches and give talks and say words but the documentary speaks for itself, far more than anyone could express in words. She also referred to her experiences during her visits and contacts in Cyprus since assuming her duties a year ago, noting that she was not given the opportunity to do what she wanted, as her tenure comes to an end. But she assured that her struggle will continue even if she is not re-elected. The Spanish MEP said that the relatives demand answers and they have the right to know. Rozsa in her greeting said that the documentary is an important initiative to highlight these tragic stories and to find solutions to a sad chapter of both Cypriot and Eu ropean history, which touches many people, families and generations who justly seek answers. She noted that the European Commission is the biggest donor of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) and that it will continue to strongly support its work. Journalist and screenwriter George Avraam mentioned, among other things, the difficult task of highlighting the issue of the missing on the island. He stated that everyone knows very well that Turkey has answers about the fate of all these people and must cooperate. Director Constantinos Patsalides noted that their goal is for the documentary to travel around the world to spread the message about the missing, so that the international community could exert pressure on Turkey. The documentary unfolds the most painful aspect of the Cyprus tragedy of 1974. Inspired by a tragic and mysterious disappearance of a young 5-year-old boy, the documentary unravels the drama of the missing and the endless battle of the families to find answers for their loved ones, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, a battle against time. 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 December 31, 2023, out of 2002 missing persons 1,228 were exhumed and 1,044 were identified. Out of 1510 Greek Cypriot missing persons 751 were identified and 759 are still missing. Out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons 293 were identified and 199 are still missing. Source: Cyprus News Agency