Currently in Brussels for various contacts with officials from the European Parliament, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Serdar Denktas, in an interview given to the Turkish TRT state television channel, said remarks made by Greek Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopoulos that he was "ready to discuss humanitarian issues" with President Talat was an important step in starting the dialogue between the two sides.

Minister Denktas said Papadopoulos's willingness, who has recently been pushed into a corner, to discuss the missing persons issues with President Talat was a new manoeuvre.

Indicating that following the Greek Cypriot general elections (in May) the two leaders could get together after June, he said dialogue between the two sides was very important.

He said the two sides, especially Papadopoulos, were not yet at the point to start negotiations for a comprehensive settlement.

Continuing, Serdar Denktas said Papadopoulos first had to submit the changes he wanted to be made to the Annan Plan, and then the Turkish Cypriot side could determine its stance. He said this was a long process but the start of dialogue between the two sides was important.

Within the framework of his contacts in Brussels, Minister Denktas is expected to participate in round table meetings organized by two think tanks, as well as meet with the European Parliament's High Level Contact Group.

A group of relatives of the 84 missing Turkish Cypriots from the villages of Taskent and Terazi, who were taken away from the villages in August 1974, have filed a case of negligence against the Greek Cypriot administration in the Supreme Court in South Cyprus.

Engaging in various efforts to find out what had happened to their relatives and being unable to find out anything, the group applied to the Greek Cypriot Supreme Court claiming that the Greek Cypriot administration neglected his issue and did not carry out the necessary investigation.

The case was filed in 22 March 2006 and will heard at the Greek Cypriot Supreme Court in May 2006.

The Head of the Turkish Cypriot Human Rights Vakfı Emine Erk, said despite engaging in various efforts to find out about the fate of the missing persons from the villages of Taskent and Terazi they couldn't get any information.

Reminding that the relatives of the missing persons had accepted the call made by the Greek Cypriot Foreign Ministry to give blood samples for DNA testing in 2003, Erk said in July 2005 a written petition had personally been given to the Greek Cypriot Presidency, Foreign Ministry and the Attorney-General's office.

She said a group of 21 relatives of the missing persons from Taskent and Terazi had filed a case against the Greek Cypriot administration for not carrying out the necessary investigation and neglecting this issue.

Indicating that the relatives of the missing persons perceived these cases to be made on behalf of and could produce a result for all other relatives of missing persons, Erk said: "Following the conflicts that took place in different periods, the fact that the fate of the many missing persons still remains unknown, has created deep wounds both intercommunally and in the personal lives of the relatives".