Naming school halls after missing children a message of collective responsibility, says Michaelidou
The naming of school halls across the country, honouring the children who went missing during the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, is a strong message of collective responsibility, solidarity and common commitment to create a world in which every child can live in conditions of security, prosperity, peace and progress, said the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Athena Michaelidou, on Monday during her address at the event “Missing children – Naming of classrooms in their memory”, which took place today at the Second Primary School of Derynia.
The names of three missing children, Andreas, Maria and Kika, were given to three rooms of the Derynia Second Primary School, the Derynia Second Public Kindergarten and the Derynia Third Public Kindergarten, with the Minister expressing “deep emotion”.
She added that the President of the Republic announced a year ago the naming of 36 classrooms across the country in primary schools, secondary schools and high schools, honouring these children, “a strong message of collective responsibility, solidarity and common commitment to create a world in which every child can live in conditions of security, prosperity, peace and progress”.
She also said that “there is no better tribute to these three missing children, Andreas, Maria and Kika, than to inspire the younger generation to strive for peace, solidarity and to serve. To raise a generation nurtured so as not to forget the past and at the same time, to work tirelessly for a better, more humane future, to fight by every peaceful means for the vindication of our homeland, but also for the prevalence of human rights at the international level.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown.
A Committee on Missing Persons has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning to their relatives the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.
According to statistical data published on the CMP website by November 30, 2024 out of 2002 missing persons 1,688 were exhumed and 1,051 were identified. Out of 1510 Greek Cypriot missing persons 756 were identified and 754 are still missing. Out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons 295 were identified and 197 are still missing.
Also read: Resolving missing persons cases highlighted by President
Source: CNA
