HC Deb 08 April 1957 vol 568 cc814-5
24. Mr. P. Williams

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Radio Athens is still broadcasting Enosis propaganda to the people of Cyprus.

Mr. Ian Harvey

Yes, Sir. I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT extracts from the monitoring reports of some recent broadcasts.

Mr. Williams

Can my hon. Friend say whether these show any reduction in their hostility to British policy or not?

Mr. Harvey

I regret to say, no, Sir.

Mr. Williams

If not, if the Greek Government wish friendly relations in this matter, is it not about time that these broadcasts were stopped?

Mr. Harvey

I think we can all sympathise with that point.

The following are extracts from Athens Radio commentaries since the United Nations debate on Cyprus.

Gestapo? What was the Gestapo? It was a service of saintly men compared to the cannibal and barbarous service organised by Albion's field-marshal in Cyprus.…

(Commentary on 24th February)

"The Greek nation has been deeply moved by the death of the E.O.K.A. deputy leader. Greeks, wherever they may be on the earth, will be moved, will take heart, and will strengthen their determination and will to see Cyprus free before they stop fighting.… Afxendiou has fallen in unequal fight: one against a thousand. … He carried out Dighenis' recent order: the first among the best and the bravest, he proved himself worthy of his military commander, and he gave himself as a holocaust …for a life worth living.

"To all Greeks, to all his comrades, Afxendiou in dying leaves this command: I have sacrificed my life because the struggle demanded it; but you, you must carry on the fight to the bitter end, relentlessly, until victory; victory is ours."

(Commentary on 6th March)

What we do know—and nobody can have any doubts about it—is that the new machinations will not influence either the Cypriot people's morale or the final outcome of their struggle. The struggle will be continued with the same stubbornness and enthusiasm, and victory will be attained.

(Commentary on 23rd March)

That the prisoner of the Seychelles and his colleagues are at long last being liberated is of course a happy and extremely pleasing fact. But no one can claim that the British game has suddenly been changed to a sincere one. No one can yet describe the new assumptions of the London rulers as 'fair play'.

(Commentary on 29th March)

He [Harding] is now waging war aimlessly, without any specific opponent, his slogan the dissolution and destruction of E.O.K.A. And E.O.K.A. is celebrating the second anniversary of its heroic activity by once more showing its strength, its mighty popular basis, its entire unanimity with the Greeks of Cyprus. No member has given in to Harding, not a single national fighter has asked to be allowed to desert his bloodstained island. All the E.O.K.A. fighters, from the leader, Dighenis, to the most humble helper, are on the qui vive. Their weapons in their hands, they do not yield; they obey the orders of their leaders."…

(Commentary on 1st April)