CMP
exhibition opens at European Parliament, Brussels
(Brussels,
11 October 2016) Today, a photo exhibition on the work of the
Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus opened at the European
Parliament in Brussels. The event was hosted by the President of the
European Parliament, Martin Schulz, and attended by European
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Members of the European
Parliament, Ambassadors of EU Member states, the Members of the CMP,
and a group of Greek and Turkish Cypriot families of missing persons
among others.
With
photographs by renowned photographer Nick Danziger and texts by award
winning author Rory MacLean, the exhibition, Beneath
the Carob trees,
depicts the efforts undertaken by the CMP’s scientists to locate,
exhume, identify and return to their families the remains of persons
who went missing during the events of 1963-4 and 1974.
In
his opening speech, President Schulz paid tribute to the work of the
Committee, noting that “behind
the impressive scientific endeavour there is a very deep and personal
dimension. Your work allows the families to make peace with their
personal tragedies the division of Cyprus has brought. It is an
example of how together both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots can
overcome the pain of the past and find energy and faith to build a
better future together."
European
Commission President Juncker expressed his deep appreciation for the
work of the Committee on Missing Persons, adding that "the
Committee has enabled hundreds of Cypriot families to recover the
remains of their loved ones and close a long period of anguish and
uncertainty. It has proven to be a successful confidence-building
measure and strongly contributes to reconciliation in Cyprus."
The
CMP Members thanked the European Parliament for its role in ensuring
continued European Union support to the Committee. They further
expressed their determination to continue their bicommunal effort to
establish the fate of the large number of missing persons yet to be
found.
The
exhibition opening also featured a performance by a group of young
Greek and Turkish Cypriot musicians, the Cyprus
Young String Soloists.
To
date, out of an official list of 2001 missing persons, the CMP has
identified and returned the remains of nearly 700 individuals to
their families. The CMP is grateful to the European Union for having
provided the funding for this exhibition and for the accompanying
book, Beneath
the Carob Trees: the missing lives of Cyprus.
This
project is funded ` Project support
by the European Union provided by UNDP
by the European Union provided by UNDP
