Newsroom
The Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) has carried out 26 excavations since the start of 2026, leading to the discovery of two more missing persons, according to Turkish Cypriot CMP member Haki Muftuzade. Excavation work is currently underway at eight separate locations across Cyprus.
Speaking to a Turkish Cypriot news agency, Muftuzade said teams have recently worked in Dali, Lapithos, Karavas, Exo Metochi, Galateia, Ampelikou, Petra and an area in occupied Nicosia.
He also said five of the seven sets of remains uncovered during excavations at the Tekke garden in occupied Nicosia have now been identified. The latest case concerns Hussein Mestan, who was buried at the “martyrs’ cemetery” in Ampelikou earlier this month.
Muftuzade stated that 127 excavations conducted so far have taken place inside military zones in the occupied north. According to CMP data, 205 sets of remains have been recovered from those areas.
The CMP’s budget for 2026 stands at €3.9 million, with no funding problems reported for DNA testing and laboratory analysis. The European Union contributes €2.6 million annually, while additional financial support comes from several other countries.
Alongside contributions from the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities, support has also been provided by countries including Turkey, Germany, Switzerland, the United States, the Netherlands, Ireland, Greece, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Kuwait, Spain, Russia, Portugal, Slovakia, China, Hungary, Luxembourg, Australia and Canada. Local and international organisations have also donated funds over the years.
Calling attention to the humanitarian nature of the missing persons issue, Muftuzade urged anyone with information, even if uncertain, to contact the CMP through its 181 hotline. He said people can also share information anonymously, adding that time is becoming increasingly limited for ongoing efforts to locate and identify the missing.
