SILENT SHADOWS. AFTERLIFE
As a consequence of the conflicts since the 1950s and the tragic events of 1963-64 and 1974 most Cypriot families have been directly or indirectly affected by "missing" relatives. The primary objective of the CMP is to enable relatives of missing persons to recover the remains of their loved ones, arrange for a proper burial and close a long period of anguish and uncertainty.
The CMP was established in April 1981 by agreement between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities under the auspices of the United Nations. Over the next two decades, work on both sides focused on conducting investigations to negotiate a common official list of all those who disappeared.
In 2006, the climate was ripe for the CMP to begin excavations and exhumations on both sides of the island. An anthropological laboratory was set up in the United Nations Protected Area in Nicosia.
Since then, the CMP’s bi-communal forensic team consisting of about 75 Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot scientists has been carrying out exhumations. They are involved at every stage of the exhumation and identification processes and at the return of the identified remains to their families.
From a total number of 2001 officially "missing" people (1508 "missing" Greek Cypriots and 493 "missing" Turkish Cypriots) 680 individuals (499 Greek Cypriots and 181 Turkish Cypriots) could be identified and returned to their families by the CMP (up to 31 July 2016).
::: Inside the CMP Anthropological Laboratory (2014).
::: Inside the CMP Anthropological Laboratory (2014).
::: Gizem Yenmez Can, Anthropologist at the CMP Anthropological Laboratory (2014).
::: Erdinç Usta, Anthropologist at the CMP (2014).
::: Cold room of the Anthropological Laboratory of the CMP (2014).
::: Inside the CMP Anthropological Laboratory (2014).
::: Sinem Şöföroğlu, Anthropologist at the CMP (2014).
::: Deren Çeker (left), Alexandra Mouski (right), both Anthropologists at the CMP (2014).
::: Istenç Engin, Anthropologist, Team Leader at the CMP Anthropological Laboratory (2014).
Famagusta | Gazi Mağusa | Ammochostos (North), "martyrs' burial site" for individuals who have been recently identified by the CMP (2014).
The photographs were taken with the authorization of the CMP (the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot representative as well as the representative of the United Nations) and with the permission of the photographed scientists.