Excavations for missing persons are currently taking place at eight sites across Cyprus, yet no remains have been discovered thus far. The Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) is leading the efforts, with seven teams working in the north and one in the south.
Investigating Multiple Sites
The ongoing excavations include seven locations in northern Cyprus and one in the south, focusing on areas with historical significance regarding missing persons. According to sources, as of Saturday, no remains have been uncovered despite continuous efforts.
New Leads and Historical Context
Information about possible new sites is still emerging, with approximately 300 reports currently under examination. Of these, about a hundred are considered promising. Excavations have continued throughout the summer but at a reduced capacity, dropping from eight teams to four during August.
Key Excavation Locations
In the north, two teams are active in Assia, drilling into wells that hold archaeological importance related to Greek Cypriot missing persons. Another site of focus is Galatia in the Karpas peninsula, where a lake has previously yielded two mass graves in 2006 and 2015, leading to the identification of 18 individuals. Current investigations suggest a third grave may exist, potentially containing up to three individuals.
In Exo Metochi, a team is exploring a field where Turkish Cypriots reported human remains being pushed towards an embankment in 1974. Despite broadening the search area over the past 30 days, no findings have emerged.
Further north, excavations are underway outside Kioneli, a site associated with Greek armed forces where remains of missing soldiers have previously been located. Work at this site is expected to conclude next week without any discoveries thus far.
Additionally, teams are working in Dikomo, examining a riverbed based on information about Greek Cypriot soldiers, while operations in Kumurcu are focused on a kiln linked to Greek Cypriots. Both sites have yet to yield results.
Efforts in the South
The CMP’s eighth excavation site is located in Engomi, Nicosia, where teams are investigating seven wells. Reports indicate that Turkish Cypriots missing since the intercommunal violence of 1963-1964 may be buried there, yet no remains have been found in this area either.
Statistics on Missing Persons
Cyprus has a total of 2,002 missing persons, with 1,051 identified to date, including 216 individuals not previously on the CMP’s official list. The missing persons include 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, many of whom disappeared during the intercommunal conflict and the 1974 Turkish invasion.
