Excavations are currently underway at eight sites by the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), yet no remains of missing persons have been discovered so far. The operations, which involve seven teams in the north and one in the south, are focused on uncovering the fates of individuals who went missing during the intercommunal violence and the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
Missing persons: Sites of Interest Across Cyprus
The ongoing excavations include notable locations such as Assia, where two CMP teams are specifically excavating wells. These efforts are marked by the archaeological significance of the site, particularly concerning Greek Cypriot missing persons. In the Karpas peninsula, a team is probing the village lake at Galatia, where two mass graves were previously identified in 2006 and 2015. These discoveries led to the identification of 18 individuals, and sources suggest that a third mass grave, potentially containing up to three people, may lie within the lake.
Challenges in Finding Remains
Despite the extensive efforts, including broadening search areas, the CMP teams have yet to find any remains. In Exo Metochi, the team is investigating a field where human remains were reportedly spotted in 1974. Although investigators were directed to a specific point, thirty days into their search yielded no results. Similarly, in Kioneli, where remains of missing Greek soldiers have been previously found, current excavations have also turned up empty.
Additional Excavation Efforts
Two other excavation sites in the north include Dikomo and Kumurcu. In Dikomo, the focus is on a riverbed based on information regarding Greek Cypriot soldiers, while work in Kumurcu involves a kiln site. Unfortunately, both sites have yet to produce any findings, and work continues.
Investigations in the South
The eighth excavation site is located in Engomi, Nicosia, where teams are exploring seven wells. Reports indicate that Turkish Cypriots missing since the intercommunal violence of 1963-1964 may be buried there. However, like the other sites, no remains have surfaced.
The Broader Context of the Search
Currently, there are a total of 2,002 missing persons, with 1,051 identified to date. Notably, 216 individuals were identified after not being included on the CMP’s official list. The missing persons include 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, primarily from the tumultuous periods of 1963-1964 and the 1974 invasion.
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