Turkish Cypriot Member of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) Hakkı Müftüzade stated that by the end of 2024, positive identification was made in 52 percent of the total number of missing persons.

Making a statement about the work carried out by the committee, Müftüzade noted that excavation activities have been allowed in 108 different regions since the military excavations started and excavations are still continuing in a military region.

He stated that although there is an agreement between the parties that the issue of missing persons will not be politicized, Greek Cypriot politicians from time to time use this humanitarian issue for their political purposes and stated that “this attitude both offends the relatives of the missing persons and creates mistrust between the two communities”.

In a written statement, Müftüzade said that as a result of the work carried out by the CMP, 1,685 excavations have been carried out since 2005, the remains of 1,688 people have been found in excavations and 1,051 missing persons have been identified.

He also announced that the CMP reached the remains of 20 people in 2024, identified 11 people and realized positive identification in 52 percent of the number of missing people by the end of 2024.

He also stated that the Turkish military authorities have regularly renewed the permits given within the excavation lists established to enable the excavations of the CMP teams in military areas in order to ensure that the CMP can continue its work in a rapid manner.

“In this context, excavation activities have been allowed in a total of 108 different areas since the military excavations started and the CMP still has ongoing excavations in a military area,” said Müftüzade.

Explaining that they as the Turkish Cypriot Member Office of the Committee on Missing Persons, are hopeful that 2025 will be an even more productive year, Müftüzade said, “We are planning to increase the number of excavation teams to 8 teams and to accelerate our excavations by providing new construction equipment. On this occasion, I wish that the new year will be a year in which the expectations of all humanity, especially the relatives of the disappeared, will be met.”