Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou has underlined the government’s readiness to resume, at any time, the negotiations for a Cyprus settlement.
In a speech at a memorial service for the people from Kontea village killed during the Turkish invasion of 1974, held in Meneou in the Larnaca district, Photiou expressed the hope that Turkey will at last cooperate to solve the humanitarian issue of the missing persons.
Most of the families of the missing persons still do not have news about their loved ones and many pass away with “open wounds” about the disappearance of their loved ones 44 years ago, he added.
Turkey, he said, is not only responsible for the 850 Greek Cypriots still missing but is also responsible for the suffering of families all these years. We will continue to work decisively to ascertain the fate of the missing persons, he added.
Time, right now, is the biggest enemy of the humanitarian problem of the missing persons, said Photiou, adding that with its actions Turkey confirms its intention not to deal with the missing persons issue.
Regarding the Cyprus problem, Photiou said that the memorial service “allows us to renew our promise to remain dedicated to the fight for an end to the occupation and reunification of the country, in conditions of peace, security and freedom for all. This is the direction that the President of the Republic is working towards,” he concluded.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third. A Committee on Missing Persons was established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning the remains of missing persons to their relatives.
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