Dr Constantinos Iliopoulos, Professor of Forensic Anthropology at the University of Liverpool, met on Monday with Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou, in Nicosia, to discuss about his team’s findings regarding the exhumations taking place, in an effort to complete the exhumation and identification programme of the Republic of Cyprus.
According to a statement issued by the Commissioner’s office, Dr Iliopoulos stated that his team will be in Cyprus for another week, in order to complete the exhumations and the anthropological examinations planned, in collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner of the Presidency.
On his part, the Presidential Commissioner thanked Dr Iliopoulos for his long-lasting involvement in the humanitarian efforts of Cyprus in the free areas of the Republic, in order to provide answers to the families of Greek Cypriots, Greeks and Turkish Cypriots, whose cases are not included in the list of the Committee on Missing Persons.
Dr Iliopoulos is heading a team of anthropologist professors and students, who, in collaboration with Cypriot scientists, take part in the exhumations, in order to complete the Cyprus Republic’s programme for exhumations and identifications.
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, 2021 out of 2002 missing persons 1,183 were exhumed and 1,023 were identified. Out of 1510 Greek Cypriot missing persons 732 were identified and 778 are still missing. Out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons 291 were identified and 201 are still missing.
Source: Cyprus News Agency