Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has shown a positive inclination towards his proposal for a joint meeting with the UN Secretary-General during the UN General Assembly, as stated by President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, on Friday.
This came after their joint visit to the anthropological laboratory of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP).
President Christodoulides also said that he suggested the idea, initially put forward by lawyer Achilleas Demetriades, for a truth and reconciliation committee to run parallel to the CMP. He stressed the importance of cooperation between the two sides, referring to his own father’s involvement in the CMP for over two decades and noting the increasing challenges faced due to the humanitarian nature of the issue. In this context, he conveyed Demetriades’ proposal for a truth committee.
“The most powerful confidence-building measure” would be achieved if this endeavour yielded more results and information, which could also send a political message, President Christodoulides added. He expressed hope for positive outcomes from their initiative that led to the joint meeting and joint communique.
The President further highlighted the role of the EU as the financial supporter of the CMP, along with the Republic of Cyprus, and their efforts to strengthen the work of the committee in meetings with foreign governments. He shared that he asked Tatar to jointly request a meeting with the UN Secretary-General after the official week of the UN General Assembly, and Tatar’s reaction to the meeting proposal was positive.
Regarding the Cyprus issue, when asked about Tatar’s statements during their visit to the Anthropological Laboratory, where Tatar reiterated his demand for “sovereign equality” recognition of the illegal regime in the occupied areas before any talks could proceed, President Christodoulides explained that he refrained from discussing this matter out of respect for the families of missing persons, who have been waiting for a positive outcome from such meetings.
He acknowledged that he was aware of Tatar’s positions but insisted that it would not deter him from pursuing the necessary steps to resume talks. The President confirmed that efforts toward the resumption of talks, particularly at the technocratic level, were ongoing based on the agreed framework.
Regarding the establishment of a negotiating team to support the Greek Cypriot negotiator for the Cyprus issue, President Christodoulides stated that this group would be formed “very soon.” He also mentioned having a meeting with the National Council to discuss this matter before heading to New York.
On the subject of the remains of missing persons from the village of Assia, believed to have been relocated and buried in a landfill area in Dikomo, President Christodoulides revealed that the Republic of Cyprus officially requested EU financing for the necessary excavation works in that region.
The Committee on Missing Persons, established by agreement between the two communities’ leaders, aims to exhume, identify, and repatriate the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.
As of June 30, 2023, statistical data from the CMP website shows that out of 1,510 Greek Cypriot missing persons, 741 have been identified, and 769 are still missing. Among the 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons, 292 have been identified, and 200 are still missing.
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Christodoulides, Tatar plea for information on missing persons in joint visit to CMP
