Makarios Objects To Peace Terms

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31543, 4 December 1967, Page 13

Makarios Objects To Peace Terms

(N.Z. P.A. -Reuter— Copyright)

NICOSIA, December 3.

In spite of an agreement- of peace between Greece and Turkey, who nearly went to war because of Cyprus, the key to the three-week crisis is being held by the island’s President, Archbishop Makarios.

The United States Presidential envoy, Mr Cyrus Vance, has been negotiating with the President since Friday and held a series of meetings yesterday. Further meetings were scheduled for today.

. Mr Vance has been trying to settle Cypriot objections to certain terms of the agreement.

President Makarios was reported to be refusing to give ground on key demilitarisa-

tion issues in the talks with Mr Vance. Informed sources said Archbishop Makarios was refusing to give way to Turkish demands for the immediate disbandment of the Greek Cypriot National guard. He was reported to be insisting that disbandment of the guard be linked with a whole range of other matters in the over-all demilitarisation to be discussed at a later date.

In Athens, the Greek Foreign Minister, Mr Panatotis Pipinelis, confirmed yesterday that Greece and Turkey had reached agreement over Cyprus. Turkey will dismantle her military preparations and illegal Greek and Turkish forces on the island will be withdrawn by stages. The only forces remaining will be the Greek and Turkish contingents stationed there under the 1960 treaty agreements 950 Greeks and 650 Turks. Negotiations in Nicosia between President Makarios and Mr Vance were about internal security arrangements on the island and had not yet been completed Mr Pipinelis said.' For this reason full details of the Greek-Turkish agreement would not be announced until the negotiations with the Cyprus Government were completed.

Russian Bombers.—A squadron of Russian TUI6 medium bombers would make a “cordial visit” to Cairo today, an Egyptian spokesman said.— Cairo, December 3.