The Press TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1954. Cyprus and Greece

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27538, 21 December 1954, Page 12

The Press TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1954. Cyprus and Greece

For several reasons, the decision of the Greek Government to take the question of Cyprus to the United Nations was a regrettable mistake. Greece’s interest in the enosis movement —the union of Cyprus with Greece—made it impossible for a plea pitched on the high moral plane of the principle of selfdetermination to appear as other than a bald territorial claim in which .Greece had a strong selfinterest. The Greek Government well knew that in taking the issue to the United Nations it was embarrassing its friends; to invite outside interference with territory under. British jurisdiction was out of harmony with Greek protestations of deep friendship with Britain. The Greek Government was aware that it was asking Britain for something that in present circumstances it could not give. Britain has made it clear that no change in the island’s sovereignty is contemplated that would be incompatible with Britain’s responsibilities for security in the Middle East. The Greek Government was particularly careless about its relations with Turkey. There have been generations of strife between the two; now they are fellow members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, joined to it for their mutual security. Because of the proximity of Cyprus to the coast of Turkey (it is 40 miles distant) and of the substantial Turkish minority in Cyprus (20 per cent, of the population), Turkey has strong opinions about Cyprus. The Greek Government disregarded those opinions when it took the Cyprus issue to the United Nations, and that may lead to the most damaging effects of the Greek action. The Turks have a poor opinion of Greek political stability; they point to the factionalism that is rife in Greek politics and are suspicious about the emotionalism that governs Greek attitudes. It may be more difficult now, therefore, to establish the unity in the Eastern Mediterranean which N.A.T.O. has been striving to create, and to establish the position of strength to which Turkey, as a Moslem Power, can make a useful contribution.

Fortunately, the damage has been limited by the decision of the Political Committee, the effect of which was to defer discussion of the issue by the General Assembly. This has led to excited demonstrations in Greece and Cyprus, some of which it will be the responsibility of the Greek Government to deal with. These local manifesta-* tions of feeling are prejudicial to the co-operative spirit that is essential if the situation in Cyprus is to be improved for the benefit of all parties. Lack of friendly co-operation frem leaders of the Greek community has prevented progress in the constitutional reforms that Britain has offered. Ecclesiastical pressure and insistence on “ enosis, and nothing but ‘‘enosis,” has proved a barrier to advances, and the unwise attitude of the Greek Government is likely to strengthen this barrier. Much opinion in Britain is deeply concerned about the position in Cyprus; and while many liberally-minded persons • feel that British policy (under both, the previous and the present Governments) has been' unimaginative and stolid, no-one suggests that in the present circumstances in ’the area the British Government could consent to a radical change in the civilian status of the island. The Greek Government would serve the interests of all concerned (including the security of Greece itself) if it tried to bridge the gap between the enosis extremists and the British, who, since . 1948, have invited the Cypriots to participate in government and constitution-making. Put its unwise action has made this course a difficult one for the Greek Government.