‘STRIFE MUST BE STOPPED’

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30390, 14 March 1964, Page 13

‘STRIFE MUST BE STOPPED’

Turkey’s Final Cyprus Warning (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) ATHENS, March 13. Greek Government and military leaders held urgent conferences at dawn today after a Turkish final warning that she will intervene in Cyprus if the fighting there is not stopped. It is reliably learned that Greek Navy units have been ordered to recommence “manoeuvres” between Crete and the Dodecanese Islands—as they did when the Cyprus crisis reached flashpoint two weeks ago.

The Greek Foreign Minister (Mr Stavros Kostopoulos) separately received the United States and British Ambassadors, M r Henry Labouisse and Sir Ralph Murray, and told them, it is believed, that the Turkish warning—contained in a Note today to President Makarios of Cyprus—coupled with reported Turkish Navy movements, had caused “serious anxiety” in Athens. He said: “The Greek Government steadily stands by its decision to react decisively by all means to any unilateral Turkish action on Cyprus.” A Cyprus Government spokesman said here that his Government would reject outright the Turkish Note as “unacceptable” both for its content and its wording. The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr Demcal Erkin, summoned the British, American and Greek Ambassadors to the Foreign Office early today and handed them copies of the Note sent to President Makarios. Another copy was sent to U Thant, the United Nations Secretary-General. Greek Government quarters. commenting on the Turkish note, said that “no fresh events justify this warning.” They said there had been peace in Cyprus for the last few days. Makarios in Athens President Makarios, in Athens after attending the funeral yesterday of King Paul, had repeated telephone talks early this morning with Mr Kostopoulos. The Cyprus situation will be discussed today when the Greek Prime Minister (Mr Papandreou) gives a lunch in honour of President Makarios. General George Grivas, the former Eoka

leader, will also be a guest. In Cyprus, about 3500 Turkish Cypriots besieged at Paphos, are expected today to receive their first supplies of food since the fighting started on Wednesday. The Greek Cypriots say they will allow a Red Crescent convoy through with the food.

The isolated community still is without water and electricity and tension between the two communities is reported to be high. British troops continued their peace-keeping role today after a day in which no major incidents were reported on the island. A Cypriot Government statement last night said Turkish Cypriot villagers in

Malia, south central Cyprus, had received an assurance from Mrs Stella Souliotis, the Minister of Justice, that their lives and property were completely safe. The Turks there laid down their arms on Tuesday, but assembled in a school and were reported to be unwilling to return to their' homes. At Ktima, south-west Cyprus, another scene of recent fighting, Greek Cypriot roadblocks which had cut British troops off from their headquarters, were lifted, and the British High Commission said agreement had been reached that there would be no attack “by either side against each other from now on.”