The Turkish side should grant unrestricted permission for exhumation in all so-called military zones and access to the Turkish army archives where it is certain there is information for most of the Greek Cypriots missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion, said on Sunday Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs Photis Photiou.

He also said that information should be given on the issue of removal of remains from the original burial sites.

In a speech at the funeral of soldier Nicholas Palazi, killed by Turks during the Turkish invasion, Photiou said his remains were located in a mass grave that contained the remains of 16 Greek Cypriots in Trahonas, near the prisons of the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime.

Photiou also said that nearby there was another mass grave containing the remains of 20 more Greek Cypriots which were unearthed, adding that most of these individuals were executed in cold blood. All soldiers had served at the Omorfita-Neapoli-Trahona posts and gave a futile fight with the Turkish army as they had no substantial backing, he added.

Photiou said that it is well known that in most cases of mass executions of soldiers and citizens, the Turkish side should help in ascertaining their fate. However, he said, “42 years went by and the fate of more than a thousand Greek Cypriots remains unknown. It is high time for relatives of the missing persons to receive some answers on the fate of their loved ones, according to the Christian faith and norms”.

The responsibilities of the occupation force and some extremist Turkish Cypriots cannot be evaded, said Photiou, adding, that “the Turkish side ought to provide unrestricted access for exhumation along the so-called military zones as well as access for researchers to the Turkish army archive where it is certain there is information on most of the missing persons. And information should be given on the removal of remains from the original burial sites, as it is a serious issue”, he remarked.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern part. UN brokered peace talks resumed in May 2015 aiming to reunite the island under a federal roof.

According to the CMP, 1508 Greek Cypriots and 493 Turkish Cypriots went missing and so far 699 missing persons from both communities have been identified and returned to their families for a dignified burial.