CYPRUS

HC Deb 20 March 1957 vol 567 cc392-400

The Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. Alan Lennox-Boyd)

With permission, Sir, I rise to make a statement on Cyprus.

The Representative of Her Majesty's Government on the North Atlantic Council has received a communication from the Secretary-General, Lord Ismay, offering his good offices for conciliation on the Cyprus question in accordance with the resolution on the peaceful settlement of disputes which was adopted by the North Atlantic Council last December.

The Representative of Her Majesty's Government has been instructed to inform the Secretary-General, in reply, that Her Majesty's Government are prepared to accept in principle this offer of his good offices in the search for an acceptable solution of the differences which exist between the Governments of Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom regarding Cyprus.

Her Majesty's Government have noted the declaration of the leader of E.O.K.A. that his organisation would suspend its operations as soon as Archbishop Makarios was released. The Governor of Seychelles is today drawing the attention of the Archbishop to that declaration and to the statement which I am now making.

As the House knows, the Archbishop has been asked on many occasions whether he will make a public statement calling for the cessation of violence by E.O.K.A. He is now being asked whether in these new circumstances he is prepared to do so. If, as we hope, he makes a clear statement to this effect, a new situation will have been created. In that event, Her Majesty's Government will be ready to bring to an end his detention in Seychelles. There can be no question at this stage of his return to Cyprus.

Mr. Callaghan

The Opposition are glad that the Government have come round to the proposal, made more than once, that this dispute should be referred to N.A.T.O. in so far as it relates to the international relationships between our country, Turkey and Greece and the strategic value of the island. Where do the people of Cyprus come into this? At what stage are we to discuss with them, now that violence has, at any rate, for the moment, ceased, the implementation of the Radcliffe proposals?

Can the Colonial Secretary bring himself to take this one step, now that violence has for the moment ceased, of bringing the Archbishop—[Horn. MEMBERS: "No."]—into discussions on the implementation of the Radcliffe proposals, so that we may bring permanently to an end the situation that exists there, as in the 12 months since the Archbishop was deposed the Government have found nobody to take his place with whom they can discuss these proposals?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

The hon. Gentleman's information about the cessation of violence is not correct, because a very brutal murder took place yesterday. The hon. Gentleman asked why the international aspects of this situation had not been referred to N.A.T.O. before. This new procedure of N.A.T.O. was recently adopted and, for the first time, provides this machinery of conciliation; and we are glad to take advantage of it.

In reply to the request of the Secretary-General that all three Governments should take what steps they can to secure the creation of a favourable atmosphere for carrying out the procedure that Lord Ismay proposes, I have stated that if the Archbishop makes the statement asked for he can be released from the Seychelles.

In reply to the hon. Gentleman's second question, some aspects of these matters are clearly separate issues, either internal to Cyprus, or international, but there is a very large range where the issues are common to both and where the distinction is blurred. In those circumstances, it seems wiser to Her Majesty's Government to tackle one at a time.

Of course, I have made it clear that the Radcliffe constitution could and should be discussed, but our first talk must be —in the matter of consultation—not to prejudice the results of the N.A.T.O. conciliation. When we see more clearly how the work of conciliation is going, then we shall be better able to turn our attention to the internal problems with more hope of success.

Mr. Clement Davies

While welcoming the generous offer made by Lord Ismay and the reply of Her Majesty's Government, and although no one has had a wider experience of negotiation than Lord Ismay, may I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman thinks that the last part of his original statement is likely to advance the end which all of us, including the right hon. Gentleman himself, would like to see achieved?

The right hon. Gentleman has drawn the distinction between what is happening internally and internationally, but it is internally that the trouble is and the people most concerned are the people of Cyprus. Does he not think that the time has now come when he should invite the Archbishop to a conference, at a place to be agreed between them, when the only question to be discussed will be the Radcliffe Report? Is not that the most likely solution?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I have made it clear that in our view the first step in consultation should be through the agency of the N.A.T.O. Council, in the international field. I make it equally clear that I recognise that there must be discussions about the Radcliffe Report, which the House as a whole accepted and welcomed. The first step that the Archbishop can take towards the restoration of tranquillity in Cyprus is to do as we have asked. He will then be released and will be completely free to go wherever he chooses, save to Cyprus.

Mr. H. Fraser

In view of rumours to the contrary, can my right hon. Friend say whether the Governor, Sir John Harding, is completely in accord with this policy?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Yes, Sir, absolutely. Any suggestion to the contrary is quite untrue. It is with his full encouragement and because of the results of his courage and imagination that we are now able to take this new initiative.

Mr. J. Griffiths

I am sure that the Secretary of State realises that the whole House and the country think that there is now a new opportunity to take a fresh initiative. He will also know that Her Majesty's Government, together with the Governments of Turkey and Greece, and other Governments, joined together in the United Nations and passed a resolution urging the parties to resume negotiations.

Welcoming the intervention of N.A.T.O. at long last, may I ask the Secretary of State whether he does not think that this is a new chance to begin discussions on the internal situation on the basis of the Radcliffe proposals and that the way to do that is to bring Makarios and other representatives to London to begin discussions? Does he not realise that if this opportunity is lost, it may not return?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

The best step we can take about Archbishop Makarios is to draw his attention to the quite definite statement made by the leader of E.O.K.A., that his organisation is ready to order suspension of its operations at once if the Ethnarch Makarios were to be released——

Mr. Callaghan

To resume negotiations.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

—I am dealing with one point at a time.

As I said in my statement, if the Archbishop will make a public statement calling for the cessation of violence, then Her Majesty's Government will be prepared to bring his detention to an end. I cannot believe that any responsible Government could accept less from someone in the position of influence which the Ethnarch occupies and ask less of him than to make a statement of that kind. I also very much hope that he and others concerned will recognise that international opinion as a whole will recognise it as reasonable that such a statement should be made.

Mr. Callaghan

As the Colonial Secretary has quoted a part of E.O.K.A.'s statement, if the Archbishop associates himself with a suspension of violence is the right hon. Gentleman then ready to facilitate the resumption of negotiations with the Archbishop, which was the other part of the condition which E.O.K.A. made? If not, what possible use does he think it is appealing to the Archbishop, as he has done many times before, when he is under duress?

Does not this policy represent a retreat from what the right hon. Gentleman told us earlier? Did he not say earlier that once terrorism was at an end, he would proceed with discussion on the implementation of the Radcliffe proposals? Is he not now telling us that in addition to the suspension of terrorism there must be discussion by N.A.T.O., and that only after that will he proceed to discuss terms of the implementation of the Radcliffe proposals? Does he realise that if he does not go further than he has gone this afternoon the country will believe that he has muffed another opportunity?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I cannot accept any of the conclusions of the hon. Member, which are based upon an inaccurate and light-hearted approach to this matter.

Hon. Members

Oh.

Mr. Callaghan

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. While we are ready to give and take on these matters, is it in order for the Colonial Secretary to impute to any hon. Member of this House—on whatever side he sits—that his approach is of such a character that he is not concerned about the fact that since we had the last truce over 150 people have been killed in the island?

Mr. Speaker

I did not hear the Colonial Secretary say that. He said that the approach of the hon. Member was light-hearted. I do not find the word "light-hearted" in the index of prohibited words. There is nothing wrong in being as light-hearted as we can on these grave subjects.

Sir T. Moore

Following the last three supplementary questions, and with particular reference to the question put by my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford and Stone (Mr. H. Fraser), will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the man on the spot generally knows best, particularly when he is a wise, good and humane man like Sir John Harding? Would it not, therefore, be in the best interests of all concerned to trust to his judgment in these matters?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I certainly agree that no one knows more of these matters than Sir John Harding, and that no one could be more safely trusted. I think that the best possible results come when —as here—a Governor of his calibre and the British Government are in complete harmony.

Mr. F. Noel-Baker

In view of what the Secretary of State said about the Archbishop, will he not now permit people in this country who may have influence with the Archbishop to communicate with him and, if necessary, to see him? Secondly, is he aware of the lamentable effect which his statement will have unless he says one word about the response which the Government of Cyprus will make to the new situation? He has told us that he hopes that the Archbishop will denounce the use of violence, but what is the Secretary of State going to do about stopping the violence in Cyprus in response?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

As the hon. Member knows, there still can be communications with the Archbishop—[HON. MEMBERS: "No"]— though they are subject to censorship. Indeed, that is essential. If the Archbishop grants the very simple request made to him, he will be perfectly free to receive communications from any part of the world personally, orally, or in writing from anybody he likes—but not to go to Cyprus.

As to any action which the Government of Cyprus may take in response to the new initiative of E.O.K.A.—I suppose the hon. Member has in mind the cessation of operations in Cyprus, or the question of the suspension of the death penalty, and matters of that kind—I hope that the House will bear with me if I answer fully but as briefly as I can upon these two points.

I would ask everybody to bear in mind that the E.O.K.A. statement was merely an offer of a suspension, and that there was last night another very brutal murder by E.O.K.A. [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] All we know is that the victim in this case was a former member of E.O.K.A. who had recently made a valuable and wholly voluntary statement about E.O.K.A. terrorists, so I think that that is a reasonable assumption.

As for the operations, clearly the Governor and the Government of Cyprus cannot allow—under the cover of an offer of suspension—the chance of the regrouping and rearming of the hard-hit terrorist groups.

On the question of the death sentence, which, I believe, the hon. Member had in mind, in none of the six cases of men under sentence of death have appeals been heard in the Supreme Court, which has yet to fix dates for hearings. It will only be after all the processes of appeal have been completed that the cases may come before the Governor, who will then have to consider all aspects of each case before reaching his decision. The Governor has informed me that he would be prepared to consider the cessation of terrorist activities as a relevant consideration of a public nature to be taken into account in the exercise of the prerogative, although it would not be the only or the decisive factor in cases of violence against the person.

Mr. Patrick Maitland

On the international aspect of this matter, can my right hon. Friend say, first, whether he will bear in mind the proposal of the Prime Minister, when he was Foreign Secretary, that there might be a solution along the lines of common citizenship in view of the difficulty of reconciling the Hellenic aspirations with the multinational needs of British sovereignty?

Secondly, can we take it that at the end of the day, when violence has ceased and peace has been restored, the Archbishop will not be denied the opportunity of graduating, like Pandit Nehru and Mr. Nkrumah, to the highest office of State?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

It is quite open to Her Majesty's Government to consider any possible approach in the statements we are making to N.A.T.O. As for the future of the Archbishop, it is not for me to look into the history that may lie ahead. The first step seems to be to facilitate his release from Seychelles, a simple way of doing which I have announced today.

Mr. Hector Hughes

In view of the Minister's reference to the Governor of Cyprus, does he agree at the outset that the problems of Cyprus, being constitutional, are primarily matters for the statesman rather than the soldier? If, as has been freely stated in the newspapers during the last few days, there is a conflict of plan between the statesman and the soldier, does not the Minister agree that the soldier should give way in order to provide a means of resolving the outstanding difficulties, and that this matter should no longer be determined upon a military basis but rather upon a basis of statesmanship?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I hope that the hon. and learned Member will get it into his head that there is no conflict of any kind, and that Her Majesty's Government and the Governor are in complete agreement.

Mr. Sharpies

Can my right hon. Friend clarify the position about the N.A.T.O. proposals and say whether this means that we are handing over the destiny and future of Cyprus to an outside body?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

No, Sir, that is not true at all. The purpose of N.A.T.O. 's exercise of good offices is to reach a solution which is acceptable to all concerned. There is no question whatever of an imposed settlement or of arbitration, and the British responsibility to the Cypriot people remains quite unaffected.

Mr. Gaitskell

The Colonial Secretary has said that if the Archbishop were to make the statement for which the right hon. Gentleman asks a new situation would be created. Has not a new situation already been created by the declaration of the leader of E.O.K.A.? Whereas before then there was a case, in my opinion, for linking the release of the Archbishop with an appeal to end terrorism on his part, has it now the same significance? Is it not the case that only the imprisonment of the Archbishop stands between us and the end of terrorism in Cyprus?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I do not think that the conclusion which the right hon. Gentleman has reached will be shared by the family of the man who was murdered yesterday.

Hon. Members

Cheap.

Mr. Gaitskell

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that his remark, which is apparently a deliberate attempt to twist the facts of the situation, is really unworthy of him in this extremely important situation? Is it not a fact that the leader of E.O.K.A. has said that as soon as the Archbishop is released terrorism will be stopped? What is the purpose of insisting that the Archbishop himself must now make the appeal for which he was originally asked when, if he is released, terrorism will stop?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Because it is our view that if the Archbishop makes such a statement that would be the largest single factor leading to the end of terrorism in the island. The statement made by E.O.K.A., which has been repeatedly twisted, does not refer to the stopping of hostilities. It refers to an offer of suspension, and, as I have been obliged to point out, that suspension did not seem to apply yesterday.

It appears to us to be entirely reasonable that the Archbishop should make a contribution which it lies in his own hands to make. I have given a solemn undertaking, on behalf of the British Government, that we will then take steps to bring about his release from the Seychelles and give him absolute freedom to go anywhere except, for the time being, to Cyprus. On that, I would point out to right hon. and hon. Gentlemen that most informed commentators, in the Press and elsewhere, of many shades of view, accept my view, and the Governor's view, that at this stage the Archbishop should, not be allowed to return to Cyprus itself.

Several Hon. Members rose——

Mr. Speaker

Order. Ballot for notices of Motions