§ 2. Mr. Norman Atkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in regard to the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Frank Judd)The withdrawal of a further 800 Turkish troops from Cyprus was announced in mid-April. However, my right hon. Friend does not think it possible to divorce this question from the Cyprus problem as a whole, over which the Government support efforts by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to reconvene intercommunal talks.
§ Mr. AtkinsonIs my hon. Friend aware that the Prime Minister of Turkey, Mr. Ecevit, has said that the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus is not possible in the absence of progress being made in the renewal of arms deliveries by the United States to Turkey and of some progress being made among the international finance institutions towards additional economic assistance for Turkey? Therefore, will he ask my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to take an initiative, in view of President Kyprianou's statement that he is now in favour of the demilitarisation of Cyprus? Co-ordination and timing are vital, and my right hon. Friend could assist.
§ Mr. JuddFor the record, it should be said that at one time the Turks had about 40,000 troops in Cyprus. Withdrawals totalling about 15,000 have been announced at various times. There were 800 withdrawals when the Turkish proposals for Cyprus were made in mid-April. I can assure my hon. Friend that the British Government's view is that both sides to the dispute must show flexibility. That has been urged by my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister on both Mr. Ecevit 1368 and President Kyprianou during their recent visits to London.
§ Mr. HurdAre we not drifting again into quite serious danger? The Turks are indignant about the arms embargo and the Greek Cypriots are refusing to accept the Turkish proposals even as a basis for negotiation. Will the hon. Gentleman be more clear about what Her Majesty's Government are doing to get talks going either through the EEC or direct as a guarantor?
§ Mr. JuddI am sure that the hon. Gentleman would be the first to say that it is not for us to tell the United States Congress how to behave over the arms embargo. That is an American matter. We are deeply concerned about not only Cyprus but strategic and defence issues in the Mediterranean. We are also concerned about other disputes and their implications for Turkey and Greece. For all these reasons we want to speed peaceful settlements in the area. We are urging flexibility and imagination on all parties to the dispute. We believe that the way forward is to support the Secretary-General in the initiative that he has taken and to bring home to the parties in Cyprus that there can be no lasting solution without their commitment.