Subscribe
One of the most tragic consequences of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus is the issue of the missing persons. Fifty-two years after that dramatic summer, many of them remain unaccounted for despite ongoing efforts to locate and identify their remains.
The official figures record 1,508 missing Greek Cypriots and Greeks and 453 missing Turkish Cypriots.
It is worth noting that the majority of the Turkish Cypriot missing disappeared during the period of intercommunal violence, whereas the missing Greek Cypriots and Greeks are among the direct consequences of the 1974 Turkish invasion.
In 1981, the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) was established under the auspices of the United Nations. The Committee consists of one Greek Cypriot member, one Turkish Cypriot member, and a third member selected by the International Committee of the Red Cross and appointed by the UN Secretary-General.
Unfortunately, exhumations did not begin until after 2004, despite the events dating back to 1974. As of 2026, the process has still not been completed, as the authorities continue to face significant challenges. The most critical obstacle is that many of the Greek Cypriots and Greeks missing from the 1974 invasion are believed to be buried in areas of northern Cyprus under the control of the Turkish occupation forces, making their recovery and identification particularly difficult.
Recent Developments
In a recent briefing before the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, which examined developments regarding the issue of missing persons, Leonidas Pantelides, the Greek Cypriot Member of the Committee on Missing Persons, stated that 1,100 missing persons from the official bicommunal list and 250 fallen soldiers have been identified. He also announced that the remains of two missing persons were recently located in Kyra Morphou, two in Lapithos, and two in Lefkoniko.
Mr. Pantelides further explained that 129 excavations were carried out last year. At present, eight excavation teams are operating, seven of which are working in the occupied areas.
He also noted that the CMP’s annual budget amounts to €4 million, with €2.6 million provided by the European Union.
The Presidential Commissioner, Marios Hartsiotis, stated that 859 out of the 1,619 missing Greek Cypriots have been identified, while 760 cases remain unresolved. 803 out of 859 identifications, were carried out by the CMP and 56 by the Republic of Cyprus.
Another significant development is that 40 out of the 77 missing Greeks have now been identified. Additionally, 18 out of the 40 individuals who went missing during the 1963–64 period have also been identified.
To date, 40 excavations have been completed. According to Andreas Christou, speaking on behalf of the CMP before Parliament, excavation teams are currently working in several locations in the occupied areas, including Lapithos, Assia, Exo Metochi, Tziaos, Livadia of Famagusta, the Gerolakkos buffer zone, and Choulou.
Donors to the Committee on Missing Persons
Between 2006 and 2026, substantial financial contributions have been made to the Committee on Missing Persons to support its work, including excavations, exhumations, anthropological examinations, and DNA identification.
The European Union has been by far the largest donor, contributing more than €43.7 million during this period. A number of other countries have also made significant financial contributions.
The largest contributions since 2006 have come from:
- European Union – €43,700,000
- Republic of Cyprus – €4,392,700
- Turkey – €1,454,225
- Germany – €1,160,000
- Switzerland – €1,056,875
- United States – €846,840
- Turkish Cypriot community – €803,000
- The Netherlands – €672,000
- Ireland – €500,000
- Greece – €475,000
- United Kingdom – €322,282
- Belgium – €250,000
- Kuwait – €200,000
- Spain – €150,000
- Russia – €45,370
- Portugal – €30,000
- Slovakia – €30,000
- China – €20,000
- Hungary – €20,000
- Luxembourg – €18,000
- Australia – €13,300
- Canada – €4,500
It is also worth noting that, within Cyprus, the Clerides family has made a private contribution of €87,000 in support of the Committee’s work.