CONFERENCE ON CYPRUS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28821, 16 February 1959, Page 11

CONFERENCE ON CYPRUS

Makarios To Go To London (N2 Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 920 p.m. LONDON, February 15. Archbishop Makarios, the exiled Greek Cypriot leader, will fly from Athens to London tpday for Tuesday’s Greek-Turkish-British talks on the Zurich plan for an independent Republic of Cyprus. The Archbishop said in Athens last night that he was “neither optimistic nor pessimistic” about the outcome of the talks. Dr. Fadhil Kutchuk and Mr Raud Denktash, leaders of the Turkish community in Cyprus, had talks in Ankara yesterday with the Turkish Premier (Mr Menderes) preparatory to flying to the London discussions. Mr Menderes and the Greek Prime Minister (Mr Karamanlis) have also received invitations to London, according to usually reliable’sources.

Archbishop Makarios’s delegation in London will total about 30, including 23 Greek Cypriot leaders who are flying from Nicosia today The British Colonial Secretary (Mr Lennox Boyd) will interrupt a visit to Aden to fly back to London on Sunday to attend the talks. In Nicosia the Greek Cypriot newspaper “Phieeft Ros” reported from Athens that the Archbishop was “more thoughtful, worried and reserved than ever before” on the eve of his departure for London. It said the agreement might be wrecked if Britain insisted in retaining sovereignty over bases in Cyprus. Silence of Grivas Reliable Ethnarchy circles said the Archbishop and his advisers were concerned with the prolonged silence of Eoka«s leader Colonel George Grivas, who has so far abstained from making any public declaration on the Zurich agreement.

While awaiting his call to London, Archbishop Makarios spent yesterday in consultation in Athens with nis advisers, including Bishop Anthimos of Kitium, the acting Ethnarch of Cyprus, and Bishop Kyprianos of Kyrenia. “National Tragedy” Bishop Kyprianos, who was exiled to the Seychelles with Archbishop Makarios in 1956. yesterday described the Zurich agreement on Cyprus as “a national tragedy, as it excludes union with Greece , for ever and makes Turkey a co-ruler of the island.” The Greek and Turkish Prime Ministers, Mr Constantine Karamanlis and Mr Adnan Menderes, have exchanged messages expressing a desire for closer relations between the two countries as a result of their accord at the Zurich talks. The “Daily Express? commented in a leading article on the British Government’s invitation to Archbishop Makarios under the headline “His Price Is Britain’s Shame.” It said the Archbishop was coming to London to “negotiate the further dismemberment of the British Empire.”

Lack of Jubilation It is reported from Nicdsia that there has been an almost total lack of public jubilation on the island since the Zurich agreement was announced. Apart from the Greek and Turkish communities’ spokesmen’s brief expression of optimism and hope, there have been none of the conventional signs marking the end of hostilities, such as dancing in the street or mass fraternisation. A more tangible reaction may come when the communities hear more about their future fate from their leaders. In Nicosia today 41 more Greek Cypriot detainees were released. They were cheered as they drove in cars along Nicosia’s main streets. The number still held is 1061.

New Governor For Malta

LONDON, February 14. The colony of Malta, now in the throes of a Constitutional crisis, is to have a new Governor. Lord Perth, the Colonial Minister, announced today that the Queen had approved the appointment of Admiral Sir Guy Grantham as Governor to succeed Major-General Robert Laycock, who is shortly retiring.

Sir Guy Grantham, who is 59. is the commander-in-chlef at the Royal Nava) Dockyards at Portsmouth and the Allied Cotn-mander-in-Chief Channel and Southern North Sea.