The aim of Turkey is not to solve the issue of missing persons in Cyprus to the benefit of their families, but to hide and destroy all the evidence proving the crimes which the Turkish occupation army committed against the people of Cyprus, Presidential Commissioner, Photis Photiou has said.
The aim of Turkey is not to solve the issue of missing persons in Cyprus to the benefit of their families, but to hide and destroy all the evidence proving the crimes which the Turkish occupation army committed against the people of Cyprus, Presidential Commissioner, Photis Photiou has said.
In his obituary during the funeral of Demetrios Pyrkas, who was killed during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, and whose remains have been identified and were buried on Sunday, Photiou said that 48 years after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, hundreds of families continue to be unaware of the fate of their beloved persons who went missing during the invasion.
He stressed that Turkey has a heavy responsibility as regards the problem of missing persons and the fact that it still goes on, and noted that the aim of Ankara is not to solve the problem to the benefit of the families, but to hide and destroy all the evidence proving the crimes which the occupation army committed against the people of Cyprus.
Photiou stressed that despite the refusal and the intransigent stance of Turkey “we continue and intensify our efforts to give answers to each family. We are committed to doing so, and this our duty towards our heroes and their families,” he added.
The Presidential Commissioner also stressed the need for unity to free and reunite Cyprus, to end the occupation and to safeguard the human rights and the basic freedoms of everyone.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.
Source: Cyprus News Agency