AKEL on the Cyprus Missing Persons Day

 

27 October 2026, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

29 October, the Cyprus Missing Persons Day, is a day to honour the missing persons of Cyprus and a reminder of the responsibility to provide answers to their families.

Fifty-two years after the tragedy of 1974, hundreds of families are still searching for news of their loved ones.

According to figures from the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), of the original list of 2,002 missing persons, 917 remain unaccounted for: 745 Greek Cypriots and 172 Turkish Cypriots.

For AKEL, ascertaining the fate of all missing persons is a common humanitarian duty. We treat every missing Greek Cypriot and every missing Turkish Cypriot with the same sensitivity, recognising their equal right to the truth and to respect.

Turkey must cooperate substantively with the CMP, handing over the information it holds regarding burial sites and the transfer of remains, including information from its military archives. Access to this information and the removal of obstacles to the investigations are essential for the effort to move forward. The international community and the European Union must also step up their efforts in this direction.

AKEL will continue to support the CMP and the people working to locate and identify the missing persons. At the same time, it will continue to call for meaningful support for their families, recognising the emotional burden and the daily difficulties they have faced over all these years. Access to care and the necessary social benefits must be timely, without exhausting bureaucratic procedures.