Details Of British Offer On Cyprus

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28618, 21 June 1958, Page 13

Details Of British Offer On Cyprus

LONDON, June 1. The text of the outline of the Cyprus partnership plan as given by Mr Macmillan and by a Government White Paper was as follows: “Cyprus should enjoy the advantages of association not only with the United Kingdom, and therefore with the British Commonwealth, but also with Greece and Turkey. ‘Sinee the three governments of the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey all have an interest m Cyprus, Her Majesty’s Government will welcome the co-opera-tion and participation of the two other governments in a joint effort to achieve the peace, progress and prosperity of the island. “The Greek and Turkish Governments will each be invited to appoint a representative .to c operate with the Governor in carrying out this policy. The island will have a system of representative government with each community exercising autonomy in its own communal affairs.

“In order to satisfy the desire of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots to be revjgnised as Greeks and Turks, the Government will welcome an arrangement which gives them Greek or | Turkish nationality while en-

i abling them to retain British , nationality. “To allow time for the new principle of partnership to be . fully worked out and brought , into operation under this plan in i l “ e .necessary atmosphere of stability, the international status °£ island remain un- • changed for seven years. "A system of representative ■ government and communal auto- • nomy will be worked out by . consultation with representatives of the two communities and with the representatives of the Greek ’ an «d Turkish Governments. “The essential provisions of the new constitution, will be: “There will be‘a separate House of Representatives for each of the two communities, and these houses will have final legislative authority in communal affairs. "Authority for ad- l ministration, other than com- ’ munal affairs and internal security, will be undertaken by a co’ -il presided over by the Governor and including the representatives of the Greek and 1 Turkish Governments and six 1 elected Ministers drawn from the t House of Representatives, four c being Greek Cypriots and two t Turkish Cypriots. c “The Governor acting after con- y sliltations with the representative C

ol the Greek and Turkish Governments, will have reserve powers to ensure that the interests of both communities are profa tected. v “External affairs, defence and v internal, security will be matters e specifically reserved to the Gov't error acting after consultation n with the representatives of the f Greek and Turkish Governments, s “The representatives of the - Greek and Turkish Governments will have the right to require any e legislation which they consider - to be discriminatory tc be rey served for considers''on by an s impartial tribunal. i “Ii the full effects of this < policy are to be realised, ft is evident that violence must cease, s “Subject to this. Her Majesty's Government intends to take pro- ; gressive steps to relax emergency t regulations and eventually to end > the state of emergency. > “This process would include the return of those Cypriots at • present excluded from the island ■ under the emergency regulations.”