Turkish Cypriot martyr gets funeral after 44 years

By Murat Demirci

LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) - Nearly a half-century after the fact, a Turkish Cypriot martyr was laid to rest properly in a funeral on Monday.

Ibrahim Ramadan, a 38-year-old father of four, was taken by Greek Cypriots from his home and martyred in 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks.

Ramadan’s remains were found during excavations in the Tekke Garden of Lefkosa, in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, one of five bodies in a mass grave.

The island’s Committee on Missing Persons determined Ramadan's identity using DNA samples from his family members.

Politicians, NGO representatives, and many mourners attended the ceremony to support Ramadan’s family members.

After funeral prayers at Gocmenkoy Mosque, Ramadan was buried in the Bogaz Martyrs Cemetery with a military ceremony.

The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus is working to return to their relatives the remains of victims listed as missing in the years 1963-1964 and 1974.

To date, the committee has identified 861 out of 2,002 missing individuals and returned them to their families.