TURKEY  DONATED 137 THAUSAND US  DOLLARS  TO AUTONOMOUS MISSING PERSONS  COMMITTEE

Turkey has contributed to the building of the proposed Anthropology Laboratory in the buffer zone in Lefkosa, with a donation worth 137 thousand US Dollars. Turkey’s Ambassador to  Lefkosa   Aydan Karahan  yesterday (July 26) handed  the   donation check to TRNC  President  Mehmet Ali Talat  in a ceremony organized at the Presidency.

87 thousand US Dollar portion of the contribution will be spent in purchasing technical equipment to the Laboratory, while the rest will be used to equip the D.N.A. laboratory being set up as part of the same project, in the Burhan Nalbantoglu State Hospital.

Turkish government  will donate an extra 50  thousand US Dollars  for the  exhumation works. 

Besides United Nations Secretary General’s  Special Representative and UNFICYP Chief of Mission  in Cyprus   Michael Moller, the Turkish  Member of the  Autonomous Missing Persons Committee  Gulden Plumer  and the  Newly Appointed  UN  Member of the Committee  Christophe  Girod  participated to the ceremony at the TRNC Presidency.

Speaking during the ceremony Turkish Ambassador to Lefkosa Aydan Karahan stated that the donation was an indication of the importance  Turkey  placed to the settlement of this dispute,  which was purely a humanitarian  issue. Karahan said: “This humanitarian  issue  should not be  exploited with political considerations.”

For his part President Mehmet Ali Talat stated  that Turkey close interest and support  to the missing persons issue, which is purely  a humanitarian issue was very important for them.

Christophe  Girod , who is representing the UN in the Committee,   speaking during the ceremony  thanked  for the Turkish donation and said it will contribute much to the progress of the works of the committee. Girod  also  thanked to the Turkish Cypriot side for its support  to the committee.

Responding to reporters question Gulden Plumer Kucuk said Anthropology Laboratory   is  expected to  start functioning  after 20 August together with the start of  exhumation and identification project.