Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus has begun using an advanced DNA testing method to identify the remains of Greek Cypriot soldiers and civilians who went missing during the Turkish invasion of 1974 after conventional techniques failed for decades.
New genetic analysis begins
In an announcement issued on Friday, the presidential commissioner’s office said the new process uses massive parallel sequencing, a modern genetic analysis technique capable of extracting information from remains that could not previously be identified through standard DNA testing.
The programme follows a cabinet decision on April 21 to allocate €1 million for specialised genetic testing.
Scientific protocol and laboratory work
The work is being carried out by the genetics institute (CING) under a scientific protocol agreed with the state’s anthropologists.
Laboratory procedures have already begun, with the first bone samples undergoing analysis.
Initial testing is focusing on skeletal remains considered the most suitable for both anthropological and genetic examination, while further sampling will continue under an agreed scientific strategy.
Damage from earlier chemical treatment
Officials said the affected remains could not be reliably identified for decades because earlier chemical treatment had damaged the genetic material needed for conventional DNA analysis.
They said the new methodology creates a new scientific possibility for examining those remains and could provide answers that had previously been beyond reach.
Focus on families of the missing
The presidential commissioner’s office said the work will continue through close cooperation between scientific teams, with absolute respect for the humanitarian nature of the issue and the families of the missing and the fallen.
It added that the technology offers a new perspective for families who have waited for decades to learn the fate of their relatives.
