Archaeological investigations in northern Cyprus aim to locate missing Greek Cypriot citizens from 1974
In the divided island of Cyprus, archaeological excavations are underway at two sites — Galatea in the Famagusta province and Eptakomi — as Cypriot authorities search for the remains of Greek Cypriot civilians who disappeared during the 1974 conflict.
The archaeological work at Galatea, initially initiated and led by the European University Cyprus in collaboration with the Cypriot Missing Persons Committee, has been ongoing since 2009. Turkish Cypriot archaeologist Ali Gulluoglu has been working at the site since its inception.
Galatea, a village with 1,184 inhabitants in 1973, was renamed Mehmetcik after the 1974 Turkish invasion. Previous excavations in 2006 and 2015 at the Galatea lake site recovered bones from 18 individuals, suggesting the presence of mass graves.
Turkish Cypriot informants have told investigators that perpetrators used machinery to bury bodies in the dried lakebed in 1974. Gulluoglu is now appealing for witness accounts to provide more information and help identify the victims.
The area has remained largely unchanged since 1974, which is beneficial for identification efforts. Up to eight other missing persons may be buried in the Galatea area. The bicommunal committee is searching for approximately 2,000 people still missing from the 1974 conflict that divided Cyprus.
Meanwhile, no new information has been provided about the arrest of a Greek Cypriot man on suspicion of drugs trafficking in the north, potential disruptions due to unions striking for automatic inflation adjustment in Cyprus, the UN special representative's disappointment at talks' progress upon departure from Cyprus, or Turkish Cypriot archaeologist Ali Gulluoglu's work at the site since 2009.
The search for missing persons in Cyprus continues to be a significant issue, with the Cyprus Missing Persons Committee conducting the current excavations at Galatea and Eptakomi.
In other news, the European Investment Bank has made a €17.5m investment to boost the electric vehicle charging network across Greece and Cyprus. However, this development does not directly relate to the ongoing archaeological excavations or the search for missing persons in Cyprus.
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