CYPRUS: EU to fund rehabilitation of six cemeteries

The European Union is providing €70,000 to the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and UNDP for the rehabilitation of six cemeteries across divided Cyprus as part of confidence building measures between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. 

This new initiative is in response to requests from the communities to include cemeteries in its list of projects and will target Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriot cemeteries as pilot projects. 

The cemeteries that have been selected for this initial support are located in the following villages: Lefkonoiko/Geçitkale, Kofinou/Köfünye, Gypsou/Akova, Kalo Chorio/Vuda, Karavas/Alsancak, Mandria/Mandirga. 

Takis Hadjidemetriou, Greek Cypriot Representative of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage said it is high time the issue of cemeteries was addressed.  

"As the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage we will do our best to ensure that this is done in a respectful and dignified manner", he said. 

Ali Tuncay, Turkish Cypriot Representative of the Committee said he is honoured to have been entrusted with this important undertaking and thanked the European Union for their support. 

"Through the cemeteries project we will not only rehabilitate them, but we will also deal with a humanitarian issue that will also help us to build the atmosphere of trust and cooperation between the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots", he said. 

The UNDP will support the Technical Committee with the clean-­up and rehabilitation of six cemeteries as initial pilot projects, with the possibility of further support to others. Interventions will take the form of basic works such as cleaning, fencing, and planting of trees. 

The Committee works in line with the mutually agreed mechanism for the preservation of the island’s common heritage in a non-­‐political manner so that practical measures can be taken to improve the situation on the ground.