Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Thursday had a positive reaction to a proposal by President Nikos Christodoulides to hold a joint meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the side-lines of the upcoming UN General Assembly in September.

The two leaders met at the committee of missing persons (CMP) anthropological lab on Thursday, where they were informed about the work done there in helping identify and then return the missing from both sides.

In a joint statement after the meeting read by the coordinator and head office of the UN Good Offices in Cyprus, Sergiy Illarionov said: “They [the two leaders] reaffirmed their conviction that the CMP conducts a purely humanitarian work, emphasized the importance of insulating the CMP from political considerations, and called upon all concerned not to politicise this crucial work.

“Both leaders called upon persons who have information about possible burial sites to share this information with the CMP, reminded witnesses that they can request confidentiality for any information shared, as credible information can accelerate the whole process of location, exhumation and identification of remains of missing persons.”

Speaking after returning to the presidential palace, Christodoulides said that his proposal for the joint meeting at the UN General Assembly in September with Guterres was well-received.

Christodoulides also mentioned that he conveyed to Tatar the idea first brought up by lawyer Achilleas Demetriades for a truth commission, which could operate alongside the CMP, “since important work is being done there.”

“I referred to the idea of Mr Demetriades, the two [CMP] leaders will discuss, I referred to the efforts we are making to strengthen the work of the CMP even more, because it is a shame that there is information and that there are not more groups that deal with the information that exists.

At the moment there are about seven groups involved and we should strengthen them even more,” he said.

Christodoulides said that this is a humanitarian issue, but if there are more results and information, this effort will send a political message, and will be “the most powerful confidence-building measure.”

Among other things, he also said that, as far as “our Turkish Cypriot compatriots are concerned, we are here to cooperate,” noting that the government responded positively on Thursday to a request to give them some medicines they need, while he noted that the government is processing a set of unilateral measures towards the Turkish Cypriots.

Commenting further, the president said that he asked Tatar for the two sides should cooperate even more, since his father was also a member of the CMP for more than 20 years, and due to the fact that the passage of time creates more difficulties, and that it is a humanitarian issue.

In this context, he added, he conveyed to Tatar the idea of Demetriades for a truth commission.

Christodoulides said he asked Tatar to jointly address the UN Secretary-General, after the official week of the UN General Assembly, for a joint meeting.

“His reaction was positive for the meeting to take place,” he said, noting, however, that Tatar did not respond regarding the fact that they should jointly request a meeting.

Speaking after visiting the anthropological laboratory, Christodoulides said that they were there with Tatar to show support for the important work being by the CMP.

“It’s a purely humanitarian issue, doesn’t matter if you are Greek Cypriot or Turkish Cypriot. We need to speed up the excellent work that the CMP is doing,” he said.

Also commenting on the matter, Tatar said: “CMP has been doing an excellent job for years. We have just been given information inside that there are 42 cases in the world resembling this. The Cyprus missing persons committee in the world rankings is one of the best. I thank all that have worked for this.

“As Nikos said, we will continue to encourage people to come out [and provide information].”

Asked by the Cyprus Mail to comment on the possibility of upgrading the CMP into a truth and reconciliation committee, Christodoulides said: “Regarding the truth reconciliation committee, it is one way yes, and we have raised the issue before. We can examine the possibility if it supports the excellent work of the CMP.”

Commenting to the Cyprus Mail on the matter, lawyer and member of non-governmental organisation TruthNOW Achilleas Demetriades said: “I congratulate President Christodoulides for his courage to propose a truth commission. It is a new page for the missing in Cyprus. There is a need to amend the terms of reference of the CMP to a Truth CMP.”

He added that this is a bicommunal humanitarian issue that must urgently be resolved.

“The truth must be allowed to shine. This is how transitional justice works in the rest of the planet,” he said.

Commenting on his return to the north, Tatar said: “It is not right to take this to another place, to create the perception that this is preparation for negotiations. It is no such thing. We were there because it was a human issue. If a negotiation process is to begin, it will not come from a change in our policy. With the confirmation and acceptance of our sovereign equality, our equal international status, that process can begin.”

He added that their [the Greek Cypriot side’s] intention is clear, to patch the ‘TRNC’ into the Republic of Cyprus.

“If they want to deal with us, it can happen with our politics, not in an environment where the majority is supreme over the minority,” he said.

In further statements, he said: “If there is an agreement [on the Cyprus problem], it must be fair, practical, and sustainable. An agreement will be reached with the consent of both peoples. Our policy is the right policy. If there is to be an agreement, it must be confirmed by a referendum in a certain process. The Turkish Cypriot people will confirm it.”