The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the Greek Cypriot administration for declaring October 29 as the day for Missing Persons in Cyprus.

The ministry described the provocative move as “a great disrespect and an insult.”

In a written statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the Greek Cypriot administration which declared October 29 as the ‘Day for Missing Persons in Cyprus’ to mark those who have been missing since 1974.

The ministry pointed out that the Greek Cypriot side has ignored the fate of missing Turkish Cypriots since 1963 and was now exploiting the issue politically.

It said that the Greek Cypriot administration which claimed to be against the politicization of the issue of missing persons had deliberately set the date to coincide with Türkiye’s Republic Day.

“This is extremely disrespectful and an insult,” the statement read.

It added that the Greek Cypriot side continued to ignore the Turkish Cypriot side as its interlocutor and in a futile attempt insisted on trying to make Türkiye its interlocutor.

The ministry called on the Greek Cypriot administration to stop exploiting the issue of missing persons for its own political means, to act responsibly and to refrain from all actions which might have a negative effect on the work of the Committee on the Missing Persons in Cyprus.

It added that the day the Greek Cypriot side recognized the Turkish Cypriots as co-owners of the island will it only be possible to establish a meaningful dialogue between the two peoples on the island that will allow the two states to co-exist side-by-side in peace and good neighbourly relations.