THE COMMITTEE of Missing Persons (CMP) thanked Turkey yesterday for donating $100,000 (over €74,000) in support of their effort to exhume and identify persons reported missing in Cyprus in inter-communal fighting and the events of 1974. 

The CMP said in an announcement that Turkey’s donation will help identify and return “as many remains of missing individuals as possible in order to bring an end to the uncertainty which has affected so many families for so many years.” 

The CMP spends over €2 million a year.  

Since 2004 when the CMP resumed its activity, it has received around $14.8 million (almost €11 million) in donations from various countries.  

Turkey has made six donations so far donating over €399,000. 

Cyprus has donated about €1.7 million spread across 11 donations, the last of which was in December last year.

The United States has donated about €352,000, Greece has donated around €200,000 while the UK has contributed about €163,000 in four donations.  

The biggest donor has by far been the European Union with about €6.6 million in three separate donations. 

To date, the remains of over 800 individuals have been exhumed and 300 missing persons, 239 Greek Cypriots and 61 Turkish Cypriots, have been identified and returned to their families for a proper burial, the CMP said. 

The CMP was established in 1981 under the auspices of the United Nations. 

A total of 502 Turkish Cypriots and 1,493 Greek Cypriots were officially reported as missing to the CMP. 

An agreement between the leaders of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to exchange information on missing persons’ burial sites and return remains was reached in 1997. 

The CMP relies on donations for its activities.