Turkey donated on Wednesday  92,000 euros to the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP).

A statement issued by the CMP said it wishes to express its sincere thanks to Turkey for its donation of 92,000 EUR made today. This donation, it added, “brings the Turkish financial assistance to the CMP to a total of EUR 826,000 over the past ten years”.

“This donation to the CMP Project on the Exhumation, Identification and Return of Remains of Missing Persons in Cyprus will contribute to the Committee’s goal of identifying and returning as many remains of missing individuals as possible in order to bring an end to the suffering which has affected so many families for so many years”, it added.

So far, the remains of 750 missing persons have been identified and returned to the families for a dignified burial, the CMP said, noting that  it relies on donor support to alleviate the suffering of the concerned families.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. The CMP was established, upon agreement between the leaders of the island’s two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning the remains of missing persons to their relatives.

July 2007 marked a turning point of historical significance as the CMP began returning the first remains of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot individuals to their families.