Challenges for the CMP in Identifying Missing Persons

In 2025, the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) identified 12 individuals from the official list of missing persons. According to Ambassador Leonidas Pantelides, representative of the Greek Cypriot side in the CMP, a total of 20 individuals have been found in eight excavations.

Mr. Pantelides stated that the number of excavations and identifications remains steadily decreasing. Out of nearly 130 excavations conducted in 2025, only eight yielded findings, despite a 20% increase in excavations compared to 2024.

A significant obstacle remains the difficulty in evaluating information, as well as the restrictions imposed by the occupying army on investigations in military areas. Mr. Pantelides emphasized the need to submit testimonies to the competent authorities, as any piece of information could prove crucial.

It is noted that 52 years have passed since the Turkish invasion, and time is hindering the work of the CMP, as relatives of missing persons and potential witnesses are passing away.

The issue of missing persons remains humanitarian and requires addressing it with the aim of investigating the fate of the missing.