CYPRUS FIGHTING British Troops Face Need To Take Over

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30365, 14 February 1964, Page 11

CYPRUS FIGHTING British Troops Face Need To Take Over

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) NICOSIA, February 13. Unless the fighting in the big port town of Limassol stopped, British troops would have to occupy key positions, a British communique warned today. Automatic fire and mortar bomb explosions were heard when fighting between the two Cypriot communities flared up in Limassol.

A British military spokesman said about 50 had been killed and 100 wounded in the inter-communal fighting at Limassol.

After yesterdays fighting in Limassol a Greek spokesman said that 20 Turkish Cypriots and one Greek Cypriot had been killed. A British statement said the Joint Truce Force had confirmed only three deaths. British troops patrolled Limassol streets during the night after a cease-fire had been agreed to late in the day. British families in the town were told t 6 stay indoars. The statement said the situation in the city was critical, and the position of the Turkish Cypriots there was desperate. The Turks reported they could only last two hours without calling in help.

Talks Today Meanwhile, the United States Under-Secretary of State (Mr George Ball) who

is seeking to promote a solution of Cyprus problems, continued his talks today with President Makarios and the Turkish-Cypriot Vice-Presi-dent, Dr. Fadil Kutchuk. After meeting with Mr Ball for 100 minutes yesterday,

President Makarios said he had “no comment as yet” Britain and the United States have proposed an international force to keep the peace in the troubled island. An agreement was reported to have been reached between President Makarios, Mr Ball and other envoys not to issue statements while the talks were in progress. Qualified Answer But officials in London think it likely the answer may be qualified, neither a firm “yes” nor a definite “no.” The latest BritishAmerican compromise plan, carried to Nicosia by Mr Ball, is believed to meet one o f President Makarios’s main demands—that the peace force should be linked in some way with the United Nations.

Officials in Washington say that President Johnson and Sir Alec Douglas-Home had agreed to look at new reports on Cyprus today. This could be taken as an indication that Mr Ball had not been able to report any conclusive results from his efforts to work out arrangements with President Makarios for a peace-keeping force.