Newsroom
Today, July 28, 2023, the President of the Republic, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, visited the Anthropological Laboratory of the Investigative Committee for Missing Persons (ICMP) at the location of the old Nicosia airport, along with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mr. Ersin Tatar.
President Christodoulides and Mr. Tatar were guided through the facilities of the Anthropological Laboratory by the three Members of the ICMP and were extensively briefed on the Committee's work, their current progress, and the challenges they face.
Following the visit, in the presence of both community leaders, Mr. Sergey Ilarionov, the head, and coordinator of the United Nations Good Offices in Cyprus made the following statement to the media:
"Today, July 28, 2023, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Ersin Tatar, and the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, visited the Anthropological Laboratory of the Investigative Committee for Missing Persons in Cyprus (ICMP), where they received updates on the ongoing work of the Committee.
Both leaders expressed their full support for the effective efforts of the ICMP in Cyprus, recognizing and appreciating the work carried out by the Committee members, the staff of the Anthropological Laboratory, and all personnel involved in this commendable task.
They reaffirmed their belief that the ICMP is conducting a humanitarian mission, emphasizing the importance of keeping the Committee independent from political issues, and called on all involved parties not to politicize this crucial work.
Both leaders urged anyone with information about possible burial sites to share it with the ICMP, reminding witnesses that they can request confidentiality for any information provided since credible information can expedite the entire process of locating, exhuming, and identifying the remains of the missing.
They emphasized the need to continue uninterrupted efforts to locate and identify all the missing individuals.
The two leaders reiterated their joint commitment, as the ICMP's primary responsibility lies with the families of the missing, providing closure through the return of their loved ones' remains for proper burial, by their religious traditions and practices."
The President of the Republic was accompanied to the Anthropological Laboratory of the ICMP by the Government Spokesperson, Mr. Constantinos Letymbiotis, and the Negotiator of the Greek Cypriot side, Mr. Menelaos Menelaou.
