President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, assured on Tuesday that the Cypriot state will continue its efforts, despite all difficulties, with a view to investigate and ascertain the fate of all missing persons, on the basis of official documents and evidence.
In his address, read out by Labour and Social Insurance Minister, Kyriakos Koushos, during an event held on the occasion of the anniversaries of the 1974 coup and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, at a memorial site for the missing persons of Cyprus, in Kornos village, Anastasiades noted that the fate of 775 Greek Cypriots and Greeks, who went missing has not yet been established.
He also said that the Turkish side still refuses to cooperate and provide information to the Committee on Missing Persons, in order to have further progress to the investigations.
Anastasiades said that acting with particular sensitivity along with the Presidential Commissioner and the Greek Cypriot member of the Committee on Missing Persons they are pursuing to enhance the efficiency of the efforts being made.
In this framework, he added, the competent services are continuously evaluating the results, as well as the problems which come up, with a view to improve the pursued results.
The President said that at the same time by undertaking an intense diplomatic activity and by utilizing the Republic of Cyprus’ participation in various decision-making centres and international fora, we have achieved to raise more awareness and exert more pressure, for Turkey to undertake its responsibilities.
“We demand both from the UN, the EU and the international community in general that Turkey abides by its legal and moral obligation on the basis of the international law and cooperate for an effective investigate of the missing persons’ fate,” he added.
He noted that contribution to discovering the whereabouts of the missing persons will contribute to the creation of a climate conducive to any effort for substantial negotiations that will create the preconditions so that Cyprus becomes a really sovereign and independent state, a peaceful and prosperous state, with security for all of its citizens.
A state in which the democratic institutions, human rights, the EU acquis, the EU and the UN principles and values will be implemented and respected, he added.
Anastasiades said that he has been making clear this position both to the UN Secretary – General, the EU partners, the Security Council permanent and non-permanent members and the international community in general.
He assured of “our constant commitment to the goal for liberating and reuniting our country, in the framework of a just, viable and functional solution that will rid our country from the obsolete system of guarantees and occupation armies.”
The President called on everyone possessing information about missing persons, that will lead to establishing their fate, to present this information.
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.
The 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.
Source: Cyprus News Agency