THE CASE OF MISSING CYPRIOTS

Over two thousand people went missing in Cyprus during the intercommunal fighting of 1963-64 and the Turkish invasion of 1974. The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) is responsible for investigating the whereabouts of 1,510 Greek Cypriots (G/C) and 492 Turkish Cypriots (T/C). Almost half of them are still missing today. https://www.cmp-cyprus.org/statistics/

The United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, and the European Court of Human Rights have all attempted to resolve the issue. However, the problem remains unresolved because Turkey ignores relevant resolutions, decisions, persuasions, and even court judgments with impunity. So far, it has not provided any information regarding the fate and whereabouts of those who went missing in the occupied part of Cyprus.

The Cyprus government brought the issue of the missing to the UN and achieved several resolutions, including the establishment of the Investigatory Committee on Missing Persons (ICMP). However, no progress was made. Subsequently, the Council of Europe published two reports; yet, no advancements were made. Finally, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued judgments finding Turkey guilty of human rights violations for denying life and liberty to those missing and subjecting their relatives to inhumane treatment amounting to torture by denying them the right to know what happened to their loved ones. https://www.missing-cy.org.cy/en/archive

Only in 2006, following the ECHR judgments and the Committee of Ministers' annual monitoring of implementation, did Turkey permit the CMP to conduct searches in the north for the first time. Since then, they have been searching based on outdated and sometimes unreliable information from Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. The poor results from these searches are evident in the CMP reports, which show that, on average, only one in six excavated sites yields any remains. https://www.cmp-cyprus.org/statistics/ The CMP excavations also reveal another significant issue: remains from several mass graves have been removed from their original burial sites to unknown locations.

With such major obstacles, what do the relatives do? Give up? Certainly not! The missing are not just numbers or history to us. They are parents, siblings, and children. Whether alive or dead, they deserve to be treated humanely, remembered, loved, and respected. The relatives also have rights. The unexpected loss of their loved ones has devastated the families left behind, who endure the agony of waiting and the frustration of not knowing. They continue to long for the fate of the missing. Having resigned themselves to the likely reality that most will be found dead, they seek the chance to bury their remains with the dignity and honour they deserve.

That is why the Committees of Relatives will not give up the fight, despite the passage of time and the challenges they face. It is a matter of individual self-respect, personal and collective conscience, and our obligation to those who are missing. That is why we will continue to inform, lobby, and search for information, as we have done for 50 years. We appreciate any support for our campaign to find new evidence or exert pressure on those who can provide it, so that more of our missing can be found.

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STILL MISSING

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