Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has stated he will press Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman to allow excavations at suspected missing persons burial sites in Turkish military-controlled areas during this week’s meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Speaking at a memorial event in Kornos, Christodoulides said he would again seek permission for excavations in areas where credible information exists regarding possible burial sites.
“In all my meetings with the Turkish Cypriot leader, I have submitted requests in writing,” he said. “If they really want a confidence building measure, the simplest, easiest confidence building measure is to allow excavations to be carried out in all these areas.”
He added that he hoped the issue would receive “a response” during the trilateral meeting.
Excavations are currently underway in areas such as Agia, Assia, Yerolakkos, Lapithos, Exometochi, and Livadia, while another 120 locations remain on the list for investigation, many of them within military zones.
Christodoulides described resolving the fate of the missing as a humanitarian obligation, telling relatives: “Our conscience will never rest if we do not ascertain the fate of our last missing person.”
He criticised Turkey for continuing to deny access to military archives that could help determine the fate of those still unaccounted for.
Of the 1,619 Greek Cypriots listed as missing following the 1974 invasion, 764 have been identified, while 746 remain missing. Of the 81 missing Greek servicemen, only 19 have been identified.
The President also singled out the stalled investigations at Mia Milia, calling explanations that excavation costs were too high — despite EU funding — “unacceptable responses” and demanding that work begin immediately.
Christodoulides announced that a memorandum of cooperation between the defence ministries of Cyprus and Greece has been finalised to strengthen efforts on the missing persons issue. The two defence ministers are expected to sign the agreement shortly.
He also confirmed that the government has allocated a permanent building for the Republic’s anthropological laboratory, which will improve infrastructure and provide a more appropriate setting for families receiving identified remains.
Addressing relatives, the President acknowledged past shortcomings by successive governments.
“As a state, since 1974 we have been slow to respond to many of your requests. I want to apologise to you tonight for the state’s omissions since 1974,” he said.
The event also heard renewed calls for greater cooperation from Turkey to resolve the fate of the missing. Archbishop Georgios described the unresolved issue as “a stigma for the global civilisation of our time.”
