The government will “not abandon its struggle until the last missing person is found,” Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas pledged on Tuesday and thanked all organisations of relatives for their support to “our arduous efforts”.

The humanitarian issue of missing persons “constitutes the most tragic aspect of the Cyprus problem, Palmas said, speaking on behalf of President Nikos Christodoulides at an event for people missing since 1974 organised in the framework of the 40th marathon for the missing.

“Unfortunately, time is merciless. As time passes, everyday life becomes harder and the pain is passed on from generation to generation. This is the tragic reality of the drama of the missing persons,” he said.

Palmas said everyone had the right to know what happened to the people who went missing.

The minister added that the government would continue to demand that Turkey respected human rights and contributed towards solving the problem.

The issue of missing persons was not just a war crime but also “arrogance in the face of god”, chairman of the foundation Marathon of Love for the Missing, Archbishop Georgios said.

He added that the Church would continue its efforts for the determination of the fate of each missing person and for peace and justice in Cyprus.

Chairman of the organisation of relatives of undeclared prisoners and missing persons Nicos Sergides said 51 years have passed since the Turkish invasion and still hundreds are missing.

He said this was the result of Turkey’s negative stance and its tolerance by the international community.