The beginning of a long process

By Jean Christou

LAST Friday’s exchange of information on some 600 Greek and Turkish Cypriot missing persons is not the end of the issue, the government said yesterday.

Government spokesman Manolis Christofides referred to the exchange as “progress”.

“But it does not mean the end of the missing issue,” he said.

The information on the fate of hundreds of the missing was exchanged at the UN-controlled Ledra Palace hotel on Nicosia’s Green Line last Friday.

The exchange was made between Turkish Cypriot representative Rustem Tatar and Greek Cypriot Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner Takis Christopoulos in the presence of Unficyp Chief of Mission Gustave Feissel.

Tatar handed over details relating to 400 of 1,619 Greek Cypriots, while Christopoulos gave information on some 200 of 803 Turkish Cypriots missing since intercommunal troubles broke out in 1963.

Yesterday, Christofides said this was just the beginning of the proposed procedure “There must be a continuous exchange of information on this issue, ” he said.

The two representatives have agreed to meet again soon to discuss the preparation of arrangements leading to the return of the remains of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot missing persons.

A statement yesterday from the Relatives of the Missing Committee said the information exchanged did not refer to any names. “To close a file on a missing person requires scientific evidence,” the statement said.

This was echoed by the government spokesman.

“Determining the fate of the missing is a very scientific process, and whatever will be needed will be given,” Christofides said, referring to the appointment of experts and the provision of other assistance for the process.

“We will not stop at any expense,” he said.

Friday’s exchange is a significant development in the 24-year old issue of missing persons as the information swapped is believed to include maps showing possible mass graves on both sides of the divide.

Christofides said the exchange was also considered to be progress by the UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan, who has now agreed, after three years, to replace the third member to the tripartite Committee for Missing Persons (CMP).

Christofides said the government was aware that Annan had reached a decision on the third member of the UN-backed committee, but had no idea who it was.

Reports last week suggested the appointee, to be announced shortly, would be a veteran Swiss diplomat.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.