Discord In Cyprus Among Eoka Men

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28999, 14 September 1959, Page 11

Discord In Cyprus Among Eoka Men

(Rec. 10 p.m.) NICOSIA, September 12. A large group of masked gunmen swooped on Makheras, a Greek Cypriot monastery in central Cyprus, late last night and beat up several monks, according to reports reaching Nicosia today.

Officials at the bishopric oi Kitium in Limassol, south Cyprus said that six monks were beater up—two of them more seriouslj than the others. The reports said the gunmer told the monks they were memmers of the K.E.M. movement the Cyprus enosis front. In Nicosia, the leading Greek Cypriot newspaper “Eleftheria published the text of a lettei which it said was one of the documents Archbishop Makarios produced yesterday to justify the recent dismissal of Mr Fotis Papafotis from the central committee of Edma, Eoka’s political successor. The Archbishop produced the documents to several hundred Greek Cypriots who protested al his palace over the dismissal oi Mr Papafotis. the former Eoki commander for the Famagusta region Informed Greek Cypriot sourcei said the interception of a lettei from Athens uncovered a plot tt assassinate Archbishop Makarioi and about 50 of his closest supporters According to “Eleftheria,” ths letter produced by the Archbishop

was addressed to Mr Papafotis and was written by Mr Renos Kyriakides, brother of the Bishop of Kyprianos and a former highranking Eoka man at present in Athens. The letter, as published tn ‘‘Eleftheria,” conveyed the wishes of General George Grivas that “all true Eoka men should gather round Bishop Kyprianos and support the national line which Grivas wants him to follow." It added: “After Makarios’s recent • nonsensical statements, Grivas is very worried and believes there is collusion between the Greek Government and the Archbishop over settlement in favour of the British on questions such as British bases and the republic’s membership of the Commonwealth. Makarios is foolish enough to think he can neutralise the leader." In Athens, General Grivas today invited Archbishop Makarios to join him in talks designed to restore “peace and normal conditions in Cyprus. This invitation to the Archbishop constitutes the most convincing reply silencing the malicious rumours that are spread at times regarding my intentions,” he said.