Further articles:
Missing person confirmed dead (Cyprus News Agency)
American Cypriot missing since '74 confirmed dead (Cyprus Mail)
THE IDENTITY OF A MISSING PERSON SINCE... (Macedonian Press Agency)
Miller: Report on five American missing soon (Cyprus News Agency)

Nicosia, Mar 9 (PIO)
An American citizen of Greek-Cypriot origin, declared missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, has been confirmed dead.

According to press reports, the then sixteen-year-old Andreas Kassapis has been identified through DNA tests. He is one of five Greek Cypriots with American citizenship, missing since the Turkish invasion.

The US State Department's Special Co-ordinator for Cyprus, Thomas Miller, informed Kassapis' father Costas, now living in Detroit, of the confirmation of his son's death.

According to the same press reports, the boy's funeral will take place in Detroit, when his remains are delivered to his parents.

In statements to the "Proini" newspaper in New York, the President of the International Coordinating Committee-Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), Philip Christopher, has expressed his satisfaction from the development, as "over 23 years of suffering by the Costas Kassapis family was finally brought to closure".

The President of PSEKA also expresses the hope "that this case is just the first of many more to come" and points out that he is "encouraged by recent efforts to bring an end to this tragic humanitarian issue".

Copyright © 1998 Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO)

Kasapis, Andreas Costas personal page
Summary of testimony given by the father of the missing Andreas Kasapis

Missing person confirmed dead

Nicosia, Mar 7 (CNA) -- A Greek-Cypriot with American citizenship, declared missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, has been confirmed dead.

According to Greek-language newspaper "Proini", based in the US, the then sixteen-year-old Andreas Kassapis has been identified through DNA tests, the Cyprus state-radio CyBC said last night.

Kassapis is one of five Greek Cypriots with American citizenship, missing since the Turkish invasion.

According to "Proini", the US State Department's special co-ordinator for Cyprus, Thomas Miller, informed Kassapis' father Costas, now living in Detroit, of the confirmation of his son's death.

The boy's funeral will take place in Detroit, when his remains are delivered to his parents, Proini said.

The President of the International Coordinating Committee-Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), Philip Christopher, has expressed his satisfaction from the development, as "over 23 years of suffering by the Costas Kassapis family was finally brought to closure".

Christopher also expresses the hope "that this case is just the first of many more to come" and points out that he is encouraged by recent efforts to bring an end to this tragic humanitarian issue.

He also makes reference to an agreement between President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, for the exchange of information, including the location of graves of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot missing persons.

Christopher describes the agreement as a major step forward.

Copyright © 1998 Cyprus News Agency (CNA)

American Cypriot missing since '74 confirmed dead
Cyprus Mail, By Jean Christou

ONE OF five Greek Cypriots with American citizenship listed as missing since 1974 has been officially declared dead, according to a New York-based newspaper.

State radio CyBC reported last night that the Greek-language newspaper Proini carries an article in its latest edition confirming the death of one of the 1,619 missing.

CyBC said the Andreas Kasapis who was 16 at the time of the Turkish invasion and who was believed to have been killed by the Turks has been positively identified through DNA testing on his exhumed body.

According to the newspaper, Thomas Miller, the US State department's special co-ordinator for Cyprus, informed the boy's father Costas Kasapis of his son's death on Thursday, CyBC said.

The paper also reportedly said the families of the other four missing Greek Cypriots with American citizenship are expected to be informed of their deaths inside the next two months.

The process of identifying the remainder of the missing got under way recently when the two sides exchanged information on the whereabouts of mass graves. The Turkish Cypriot side has 803 missing persons dating back to the inter communal troubles of 1963.

Work has already begun on a DNA bank to help identify the bodies of missing persons if they are recovered.

Meetings on the issue are expected next week.

Copyright © 1998 Cyprus Mail

THE IDENTITY OF A MISSING PERSON SINCE THE TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS WAS DETERMINED FOR THE FIRST TIME

Nicosia, March 7 (MPA) -- The identity of the remains of a missing person since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus was determined for the first time.

The remains of Andreas Kasapis were found in a mass grave near the village of Asia. Kasapis was 16 years old when he was murdered by the Turkish occupation forces.

The mass grave site was located by the US specialists who investigate the issue of the missing and the identity of the remains was determined through a DNA test. His father, Costas Kasapis, stated that for 24 years he was hoping that his son was still alive.

Copyright © 1998 Cyprus Press and Information Office

Miller: Report on five American missing soon

Nicosia, Mar 9 (CNA) -- A report on the case of five American citizens of Greek Cypriot origin missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island will come out soon, US State Department Special Coordinator for Cyprus, Thomas Miller, said here today.

Miller met today with Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Takis Christopoulos, to discuss the issue of missing persons in the light of the confirmation of the death of Andreas Kasapis, one of the five missing Americans.

Describing the meeting as "a good exchange of views", Miller said he briefed Christopoulos on the case of Kasapis, aged 16 in 1974, who was confirmed as dead after DNA tests.

Asked about the four other American citizens of Greek Cypriot origin, missing since 1974, Miller said "a report should be coming out in the relatively near future", which as he explained, "will be updated based on this latest information on the Kasapis case".

Pointing out that the gates to a resolution of the problem of missing persons "were already open with the agreement that the two leaders signed last July", Miller expressed the hope that the Kasapis case "can stimulate progress on these humanitarian cases".

"We very much look at this as a humanitarian issue as I know both sides (Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots) do and that was clearly specified in the agreement that they had last July", he added.

President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash signed an agreement on July 31, 1997, for the exchange of information on missing persons, including the location of graves.

"We hope that any efforts that we have been able to make in our examination will provide progress to answer the questions of the many families of those missing and end the agony and suffering they have been going through the last twenty-three and a half years", Miller said.

The US Special Coordinator said he will also "be talking to the Turkish Cypriots about the missing".

A total of 1587 people were listed as missing persons since the 1974 Turkish invasion and occupation of 37 per cent of the island's territory.

Miller had a meeting earlier today with President Clerides, which he described as "very good", but refrained from making further comments.

Tomorrow he will meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash. He will give a press conference before traveling to Greece and then to Turkey.