The collection of genetic material from the families of 11 missing Greek nationals has been completed, the Presidential Commissioner, Marios Hartsoti, speaking to KYPE on Saturday following his visit on Thursday, October 22, together with Greece’s Deputy Minister of National Defense, Thanasis Davakis, to Argos Orestiko in Kastoria, where they met with the family of Konstantinos Kentris, who went missing during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.
According to Mr. Hartsotis, in addition to the information provided to the families of the missing persons, the most significant aspect of this latest visit is that the final DNA sample—one of approximately 11 that had been missing for decades—was collected, since the families, for their own personal reasons, had been unwilling to provide a DNA sample.
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“This created a gap in the records of missing Greeks, since identification could not be carried out, bearing in mind that we currently have 30 to 35 caskets containing the remains of belonging to missing Greeks. So, after I took over, we were still missing about 11 DNA samples from certain families, and thankfully, thanks to the excellent cooperation of Mr. Davakis, to personally visit these specific families, to stay in constant contact with them, and the day before yesterday we received from Argos Orestiko in Kastoria the final DNA sample of the hero Konstantinos Kentras, in an effort to identify as many missing persons as possible—and why not all of the missing Greeks,” he went on to explain.
He added that the sample bank is now considered complete for the missing Greeks, who, as he said, numbered 77; 40 of whom have been identified, leaving 37 missing heroes to be identified. “So, of the 37, the 11 remaining DNA samples represented a significant number, and through our collaboration, we were able to achieve this result over the past 12 months,” he added.
He also noted the importance of the fact that he and Mr. Davakis had jointly decided to visit these specific families in their places of origin, which were scattered throughout Greece, as these relatives had been unable to visit Cyprus in recent years and had received no information whatsoever.
“So, beyond the issue of DNA samples, we felt it was the very least the state—both Cyprus and Greece—could do to inform the families, their relatives, about the steps being taken, the developments, and all the information we currently have regarding their loved ones,” he added.
When asked about the reception they received from the families of the missing persons, Mr. Hartsotis described it as a moving one. “They welcomed us very warmly; hosted us in the best possible way, and above all, expressed their complete satisfaction that the governments are finally visiting them in their hometowns and providing them not only with the historical context, but also all the data we have today in our efforts to verify the facts,” he went on to say.
“Through all this information, the process, and the details we have shared with them, their hopes have generally been renewed that their loved one will be found and that they can pay him the honors truly befitting a hero of each family,” he added.
When asked about the next steps expected in the near future, based on the information now available, the Presidential Commissioner said that it is already known that the Institute of Neurology and Genetics is proceeding with highly specialized methods to identify the remains of the heroes of Eldykaria and other Greeks, which were impregnated with various chemicals in the 1980s, resulting in the destruction of the DNA in the bones of those individuals.
“We are proceeding with highly specialized scientific methods in order to achieve results. The first pilot result was already positive, and we hope to see more such results in this very difficult aspect of determining the fate and identifying missing persons, whose remains were treated with various chemicals in the 1980s,” he further noted.
He also said that significant initiatives have been developed regarding the issue of missing persons, not only in Cyprus and Greece, but access has now been granted to the files of the missing persons, which are located in the office of the Presidential Commissioner.
“We schedule appointments, and the families of the missing have every right to visit the Commissioner’s offices, to open the files together with us, to review all the documentary evidence, all the information concerning their loved one, because through this information, we may also be able to glean some further details,” he explained.
He also said that various awareness campaigns are being launched, including among young people, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, at the initiative of the Cypriot ambassador to Greece, Stavros Avgoustidis, while a commemorative initiative is being launched to renovate, restore, and document all monuments throughout Greece.
“For the first time, we have finally established our own anthropological workshop. We have the small chapel, which we are beginning to prepare, and the reception areas. We have also established an annual briefing for relatives on the activities of the past year. In January 2027, we will brief all relatives—those who wish to attend—at an open meeting we will hold to cover all the developments of 2026, how many excavations have been carried out, where they took place, how many missing persons have been found, how many have been identified, and what new initiatives we are undertaking in this regard,” he went on to note.
He also said that efforts are underway to raise international awareness of the issue and to highlight the well-known problem of the missing persons from Assios in all European and international forums.
“A great deal is being done. It is the government’s unwavering goal to identify even the last missing person, and given that 52 years have passed—which is far too long— we must intensify our efforts toward this goal to the greatest extent possible. There is no more time; time is running out; we must do everything in our power for this most sensitive humanitarian issue,” he concluded.
Furthermore, according to a statement from the Greek Ministry of National Defense, specialized medical personnel from the 251st General Air Force Hospital contributed for the first time through their active participation in the scientific process of identifying the missing persons, utilizing the laboratory’s now-advanced capabilities .
Deputy Minister of National Defense Thanasis Davakis stated that over the past year, “through our seamless coordination and close collaboration with Presidential Commissioner Mr. Hartsotis, we have managed to complete the collection of genetic material from relatives of missing persons. This step is crucial for identifying the remaining 37 Greek nationals missing from the 1974 Turkish invasion.”
“As a minimum obligation to the heroes and their families, we are making every possible effort, together with Cyprus, at every level, by setting specific timelines and goals,” he said.
He also stated that “ascertaining the fate of our last missing person is not merely a formal procedure. It is a matter of honor, a national duty, and the Greek government’s top humanitarian priority. The exemplary cooperation between Greece and Cyprus on this extremely sensitive issue is bearing fruit, providing solutions to unresolved issues that have remained open for decades.”
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Source: CNA
