The Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Türkiye compiled by the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor for 2013 notes that the Turkish authorities have made some progress in investigating previous cases of disappearances, many from the early 1990s and quotes a report by the Human Rights Association of Türkiye (HRA), stating that an estimated 3,248 persons lay buried in 253 identified mass graves.

The large number of reported mass graves is an obstacle to finding a political settlement to separatist disputes and may be seen as a challenge to the full implementation of the rule of law, including the right to the truth.

In the first quarter of 2013, ICMP briefed Turkish human rights activists at its head office, on modern approaches to the issue of the missing. Although there is strong demand and relatively strong capacity in Türkiye to locate the missing, a serious missing persons process has not been undertaken.