Relatives of missing persons expect the recent agreement between the UNDP and a genetics laboratory in Bosnia to accelerate the identification process of remains of missing persons, with an aim to assert their fate.

Following disagreements between the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) and the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING), which has been carrying out DNA tests to identify exhumed remains since 2007, the UNDP has signed an agreement with the Bosnian Commission for DNA testing.

The President of the Cyprus Organization of Relatives of Undeclared Prisoners and Missing Persons Nikos Sergides said here today that Turkey is trying to persuade relatives to testify before a committee it has set up, with an aim to create for itself an alibi.
He added that the organization believed Turkey would fail to address the problem and said that the relatives that first appeared before this committee about a year ago, received no response yet.

Sergides was speaking during the presentation of the awareness raising material the organization prepared on the subject, in order to inform public opinion during the time Cyprus was holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Sergides noted that testifying to this committee would provide Turkey with an alibi vis-avis the ECHR, which has called on Turkey to facilitate the resolution of this humanitarian problem.

The Greek Cypriot representative to the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP) Aristos Aristotelous said on his part that the first bone samples have been sent to Bosnia, following the agreement, to undergo genetic analysis.

He said that 280 samples have been already sent, corresponding to 60-70 people.
Aristotelous further clarified that the Bosnia lab will not look into the identities of the missing person, adding that the identification process will continue in Cyprus, at the CMP lab.

This laboratory was currently being set up, Aristotelous went on, adding that local geneticists working there will be tasked to cross-examine the results from Bosnia.

“Things are progressing smoothly and we look forward to the process’ acceleration,” Aristotelous noted.

He added that remains belonging to 360-400 people were stored at the CMP premises, awaiting anthropological scrutiny.

The Cyprus Organization of Relatives of Undeclared Prisoners and Missing Persons presented moreover the awareness raising material it prepared, with an aim to exert pressure on Turkey to comply with the decisions of international organizations concerning the fate of missing persons.

The material was presented today, in the presence of state officials and Cyprus Archbishop Chrysostomos II. Sergides stated that the aim is “to convey the message that the issue of missing persons is a matter which concerns the whole of the Cypriot people”.

He added that the organization requires the assistance of all stakeholders, including that of the government, the Parliament and the Church, as well as political parties and relevant organizations.

Sergides said it was imperative to utilize the latest decision by the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which asks for a complete probe on the issue of missing persons.

This decision, he added, calls on Turkey to permit unhindered access to independent researchers in its files as well as in the sites the missing persons were last seen.

Cyprus Archbishop Crysostomos said that the fate of the missing persons concerns everyone and stated the Church’s support towards the relatives.

He added that Turkey must comply and provide access to information and noted that the government, the Parliament and the Church need to continue their pressure to achieve a positive result.

The awareness-raising material consists of a booklet and a CD, which also contains electronic references for more information on the subject. The publication has been prepared in three languages, Greek, English and French.

Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou and the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Refugees Skevi Koukouma expressed their compliments for the publication, while MEP Antigoni Papadopoulou said it was imperative to coordinate action and raise a more assertive voice on the issue.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), examining the issue of missing persons, has found Turkey responsible of violating fundamental articles of the European Convention on Human Rights relating to the missing.

In its judgment, on 10 May 2001, at the Fourth Inter-state Application of Cyprus v. Turkey (Application no.25781/1994), the Court established that there had been continuing violations by Turkey of Articles 2, 3 and 5 of the Convention concerning the right to life, liberty and security and prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment.
Turkey was found to have failed to conduct an effective investigation into the fate of the Greek Cypriot missing persons who disappeared in life threatening circumstances or were in Turkish custody at the time of their disappearance.
It also held that Turkey’s silence in the face of the real concerns of the relatives of the missing amounted to inhuman treatment.

On 7 June 2005, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted an Interim Resolution calling on Turkey to fulfill its obligations.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. As a result of the invasion, 1619 Greek-Cypriots were listed as missing, most of whom soldiers or reservists, who were captured in the battlefield.

Among them, however, were many civilians, women and children, arrested by the Turkish invasion troops and Turkish-Cypriot paramilitary groups, within the area controlled by the Turkish army after the end of hostilities and far away from the battlefield.

Many of those missing were last seen alive in the hands of the Turkish military.

A further 41 more cases of Greek Cypriot missing persons have been recently added.

These cases concern the period between 1963-1964, when inter-communal fighting broke out but none of them has been identified yet.

The number of Turkish Cypriot missing since 1974 and 1963/64 stands at 503.
According to the latest figures, the remains of 330 missing persons have been identified, 66 of whom are Turkish Cypriots and the rest Greek Cypriots.