Excavations at the Athalassa Psychiatric Hospital, in Nicosia, are due to start in a few weeks, with an aim to locate the remains of 31 missing persons, Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs Fotis Fotiou said on Wednesday.

The 31 are believed to have been buried in the area after the hospital was shelled, during the 1974 Turkish invasion. Three of the missing are Turkish Cypriots and 28 Greek Cypriots. Fotiou said that the number might be higher, according to information.

The Cabinet took a decision to proceed with the excavation and as result a meeting was held on Wednesday at the Presidential Commissioner’s Office, in the presence of all services involved.

Speaking after the meeting, Fotiou said that an exploratory exhumation has already taken place, revealing human remains that were buried underground. The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics carried out DNA tests, which Fotiou said they were encouraging as to the quality of the genetic material they carry.

“We are now at a stage where the team that has conducted this excavation is coordinating with other state services” said Fotiou. He added that various measures need to be taken, since the designated area is adjacent to other buildings with a lot of people.

Fotiou expressed, moreover, his confidence that the exhumation procedure will be conducted successfully. Already, many relatives whose beloved ones might have been buried in the hospital area have contacted his Office and are willing to provide DNA samples, including a Turkish Cypriot family, he added.

As the Presidential Commissioner pointed out, this is a humanitarian issue and the state has an obligation to give back to the families the remains of their beloved ones, after the DNA identification process is concluded.

This process should have taken place many years ago, Fotiou said and expressed the state’s solidarity with the families.

The team conducting the excavation is very experienced, he went on. Moreover, he said that the various difficulties were outlined during the meeting and a concrete action plan was adopted, in order to start on-site digging in a few weeks.

Replying to questions, the Presidential Commissioner noted that the exact number of people buried in the area is not known. To date, it is believed that 28 Greek Cypriots are missing in the Psychiatric Hospital area, however the number might be higher according to information received. There are also 3 Turkish Cypriots among the missing. A soldier and a nurse who died during the shelling have been buried properly, Fotiou concluded.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third.