9 missing persons unearthed in Cypriot Morphou cemetery

Nine skeletons, found in a cemetery in Morphou, are expected to belong to missing persons, the Greek Cypriot representative on the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP), Nestoras Nestoros has said on Wednesday.

The Greek Cypriot representative has told CNA that the remains were discovered in impromptu graves, adding that the burial sites are small and in a location where three excavations have taken place.

He added that the excavations are still in their initial phases.

“The excavation in Morphou began on July 21 in a specific area at three sites. We have already searched the first area, where we found small graves,” Nestoros said, adding that there was no mass grave, but rather impromptu burial sites.

Nestoros said that during the current phase they had found nine separate skeletons, adding that due to the fact they are buried in impromptu locations, they are people that are being sought.

He mentioned that according to the first findings, the eight individuals are elderly, and the other a youth.

Conflicting statements from Turkish Cypriot representative

The office, Nestoros added, has gathered witness statements on the situation and the burial sites, mentioning that according to the information given to them, the CMP was not aware of the age of the individuals or their status.

Nestoros has said that they will continue efforts to find more remains, if they receive more witness statements.

He added that the excavations will continue for some time, as there are two more sites that need to be investigated.

“We try to be ask quick as we can, because we want to move on to the next locations, since there are many areas to excavate,” Nestoros said about the sites.

Earlier the Turkish Cypriot representative to the CMP, Plumer Kucuk, had said that the site was completely searched and that nine skeletons had been found, but they were not sure if the remains belonged to missing persons.