GREECE REJECTS CYPRUS PLAN

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28619, 23 June 1958, Page 11

GREECE REJECTS CYPRUS PLAN

“Provisions Would Destroy Unity”

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) ATHENS, June 21.

The Greek Government today handed over a Note to the British Ambassador (Sir Roger Allen) supporting Archbishop Makarios’ rejection of Britain’s new constitutional proposals for Cyprus. “The main provisions of this plan destroy the unity of the Cypriot people; they constitutionally sanction its division in two and unavoidably lead to antagonism and strife, thereby creating a focus of permanent unrest and a threat to peace in the whole area,” said the Note.

“The idea of partnership which forms the basis of the plan and which in substance imposes a triple condominium on Cyprus is wholly unacceptable because it runs counter to the fundamental and inalienable right of the people of Cyprus to selfdetermination,” it said.

“In view of the above, we cannot consider the proposed plan as one that could be accepted,” the Note said.

“We do not reject a transitory stage of self-government. The question of Cyprus however, is a matter which concerns the British Government on one side and the people of Cyprus on the other. “We are always ready for bilateral talks between the British Government and the Cypriot people for a genuine democratic constitution of self-government.” The Greek Foreign Minister, Mr Evangelos Averoff, handed over the reply which was in the form of a letter from the Greek Prime Minister, Mr Constantine Karamanalis, to the British Prime Minister, Mr Macmillan.

Sir Roger Allen had a 30minute talk with an envoy from Archbishop Makarios, who has rejected the plan as “totally unacceptable.” The Archbishop, leader of the Cyprus union-with-Greece movement, stated his position in a letter addressed to the Governor of Cyprus, Sir Hugh Foot. This was released for publication last night. Turkish Rejection

The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr Fatin Zorlu, has said that Turkey could not accept any proposal on Cyprus which does not include the final solution of partition of the island.

It was necessary to have a tripartite conference of the British. Turkish and Greek Prime Ministers on the problem, he said. The American Associated Press said that British soldiers had gone from door to door in all the main towns of Cyprus last night distributing leaflets asking Greek and Turkish Cypriots to accept the British plan. The leaflets were printed in the Greek and Turkish national colours, blue and red.