Müftüzade: The Issue of Missing Persons Should Not Be Politicized

In a written statement, Müftüzade highlighted that since 2005, the CMP had conducted 1,685 excavations, found remains of 1,688 individuals, and identified 1,051 missing persons. He further revealed that in 2024, 20 sets of remains were uncovered, 11 individuals were identified, and by the end of the year, positive identification had been achieved for 52% of the missing persons.

Excavations in Military Zones

Müftüzade also mentioned that the Turkish military authorities had renewed permits regularly to ensure the CMP's teams could continue excavations in military zones. "In this context, since the beginning of military excavations, a total of 108 different areas have been opened for excavation, and the CMP is still conducting excavation work in a military zone," he added.

Politicization of the Issue by Greek Cypriot Politicians

Müftüzade observed, "Although there is an agreement between the parties not to politicize the issue of missing persons, unfortunately, we observe that Greek Cypriot politicians sometimes use this sensitive and humanitarian issue for political purposes. This attitude not only offends the families of the missing persons but also creates mistrust between the two communities."

He expressed hope that 2025 would be a more productive year for the CMP, saying, "We plan to increase our excavation teams to 8 and speed up our work by acquiring new machinery. On this occasion, I wish the new year to fulfill the expectations of humanity, especially the families of the missing persons."