Park opened in memory of children missing in 1974

Out of the 36 children missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion, only 20 have been identified so far, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Saturday in his address at the naming ceremony of the ‘Park of Missing Children of the Turkish Invasion 1974’ in Nicosia.

The education ministry will now move forward to name 36 halls throughout the country in primary schools, secondary schools and high schools, in memory of these children.

Christodoulides said this would underline the need to inform the new generations about the Cypriot tragedy.

“As a father, I cannot even imagine the position of the parents whose children are missing.”

He noted that of the 36 missing children, only 20 have been identified so far, with the youngest child being six months old and the oldest 17 years old.

“As a father, as a citizen of this country, as president of the Republic of Cyprus, I promise you that I will do my utmost to reunite our country which is still suffering from Turkish invasion and occupation,”  he said, adding that unfortunately, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the invasion.

The head of Humanitarian Affairs Office for the missing persons and the enclaved, Anna Aristotelous, stated in her address that the office stands by the side of the relatives of the missing persons.

The aim is to safeguard the human rights of the missing persons and their relatives, to provide support and meet their needs, she added.

Aristotelous underlined that establishing the fate of the missing persons is a matter of crucial importance and “that is why we have extended our efforts and diversified the process of approaching every possible person who may provide information.”