§ 7.9 p.m.
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, the right honourable Gentleman the Prime Minister is now making a statement in another place, and for the convenience of your Lordships I will read it in the words which the Prime Minister is using:
"I am glad to inform the House that in the Cyprus Conference agreement has now been reached between the three Governments of Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom and the representatives of the two main communities in the island. The conclusions of the Conference, which comprise some long and detailed documents, will be published in a White Paper.
"The Conference arose immediately from the negotiations which have been taking place between the Greek and Turkish Governments since the end of last year. Her Majesty's Government were at an early stage informed of these negotiations, at a meeting in Paris in December between my right honourable and learned friend the Foreign Secretary and the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey. From the outset Her Majesty's Government gave their full support to this initiative. We made clear to the other two Governments that, provided our military requirements were met, in a manner which could not be challenged, by the retention of bases under British sovereignty, together with the provision of the necessary rights and facilities for their operation, we were prepared to consider the transfer of sovereignty by Her Majesty's Government over the rest of the island. Negotiations between Greece and Turkey continued against the background of this statement of Her Majesty's Government's position. They culminated in the agreements reached between the Greek and Turkish Prime Ministers at Zurich on the 11th of February.
"We have arranged with our Greek and Turkish allies that the text of the documents agreed at the Conference and signed to-day will not be released for publication until they have had time to return to their capitals and report to their colleagues. I am sure the House will understand that the Greek and Turkish Parliaments also have the right to be informed at first hand of these 432 important agreements. The documents, including the agreements reached between the Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministers at Zurich, will therefore be laid before the House in the form of a White Paper on Monday next. They will also be published in Nicosia by the Governor.
"I shall only say at this stage that the agreements reached at Zurich take full account of the rights of the people of Cyprus and represent a fair and honourable compromise between the interests of Greece and Turkey. They re-establish the friendship and alliance between those two countries which are so essential to the security of us all. Our Greek and Turkish friends took as the starting point of their discussions the premise that the United Kingdom would retain under British sovereignty such areas, together with the necessary rights and facilities as are required to enable her to fulfil her strategic obligations in the area. They have also agreed to guarantee our continued enjoyment of these facilities.
"As soon as the two Prime Ministers had reached agreement on this basis last week, the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey came to London. They brought with them the Zurich agreements for discussion with Her Majesty's Government. They made it clear to us that while they had throughout their own negotiations accepted the British requirements, they had made no attempt to provide for them in detail. This was left for us to state. At the same time they made it clear that they had every confidence that our requirements could be met in a manner fully acceptable to us.
"We discussed the position fully with the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey and made enough progress for us to feel justified in convening a conference which began on February 17, with the participation not only of the three Governments, who were represented by their Foreign Ministers, but also of the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities, who were represented by Archbishop Makarios and Dr. Kucuk respectively.
"At the opening session of the Conference, my right honourable and learned friend the Foreign Secretary, on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, made a Declaration of Her 433 Majesty's Government's position. This Declaration was to the effect that, subject to the acceptance of their stated requirements, Her Majesty's Government accepted the documents approved by the Heads of the Governments of Greece and Turkey as the agreed foundation for the final settlement of the problem of Cyprus. Our requirements were that two areas should be retained under full British sovereignty, together with such rights as were necessary to ensure those areas to be used effectively as military bases, and that satisfactory guarantees should be given by Greece, Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus for the integrity of those areas and for our use and enjoyment of our necessary rights.
"The Declaration also stipulated that provision should be made for the protection of the fundamental human rights of the various communities in Cyprus; for the protection of the interests of members of the public services; for the resolving of questions of nationality of persons affected by the settlement; and for the assumption by the Republic of Cyprus of the appropriate obligations of the present Cyprus Government including settlement of claims. The Declaration made it clear that Her Majesty's Government welcomed the draft Treaty of Alliance and would co-operate in the common defence of Cyprus. Finally we declared that the Constitution of the Republic should come into force and the necessary instruments be formally signed at the earliest practicable date and that sovereignty would then be transferred to the Republic of Cyprus.
"This Declaration was formally accepted by the Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministers in the name of their Governments as providing, together with the documents approved by the Heads of the Greek and Turkish Governments at Zurich, the agreed foundation for the final settlement of the problem of Cyprus. Archbishop Makarios, as the representative of the Greek-Cypriot community, and Dr. Kucuk, as the representative of the Turkish-Cypriot community, have also accepted the Declaration and the Zurich documents on the same basis. Our requirements have thus been fully met. The mutual acceptance by the parties to the 434 Conference of the position formally made known there constitutes the firm and agreed foundation on which the final settlement will be built. The instruments recording these arrangements were initialled at Lancaster House to-day.
"At this point, I should like to say how much the successful solution of this baffling problem is due to the determination and perseverance of my right honourable and learned friend the Foreign Secretary, and of my right honourable friend the Colonial Secretary. In all this they have both borne a heavy burden of responsibility for a long time with the greatest skill and patience.
"All parties to the Conference firmly endorse the aim of bringing the Constitution and Treaties into full effect as soon as practicable. A number of practical arrangements have been made for this purpose, the details of which will be announced very shortly.
"The question has been raised as to the possibility of Cyprus remaining in some form of association with the Commonwealth. This is a matter on which of course, the people of Cyprus themselves should have an opportunity of expressing their views when they have the constitutional means of doing so. It is also a question which must concern other Commonwealth Governments. If in due course the Government of Cyprus declare that they desire to remain associated with the Commonwealth, the United Kingdom Government in consultation with the other members of the Commonwealth will consider sympathetically how that desire can most appropriately be satisfied. Mr. Speaker,"—
My Lords, this is in the Prime Minister's words—
"I think that honourable Members on all sides of the House will welcome this agreement. I believe that we have closed a chapter of bitterness and strife in the history of Cyprus and that we are now embarking together with our Greek and Turkish allies, and the people of Cyprus themselves, on a new approach where partnership and co-operation take the place of strife and dissension. The missing factor which has so long eluded us was the agreement of Greece and Turkey on the terms of a settlement; this has now 435 been achieved and the restored friendship of Greece and Turkey, which carries with it a reconciliation between the two main communities in the island, is the all-important feature of the new arrangements.
"Her Majesty's Government believe that the agreements arrived at in Zurich and London will result in the return of permanent peace to Cyprus. Our purpose is to bring the state of emergency to an end as soon as possible. This will involve the release of detainees, the terms of an amnesty for those convicted, and arrangements for the return of those exiled.
"Throughout the period of the emergency which has lasted nearly four years, men and women in the security forces and the public service in Cyprus have persevered with courage in the face of danger in the performance of their often thankless but essential tasks. I am sure the House will wish to pay tribute to them, and to the devotion to duty of the Governor, Sir Hugh Foot, and his predecessor, Lord Harding"—
whom we are so glad to see in his place this evening.
"I must add a further word about the public service. It is essential to maintain its continuity and efficiency. To this end, every encouragement will be given to members of the public service to continue to serve in the island. The interests of officers who leave, as well as of those who stay, will be carefully looked after, as they have been elsewhere when the countries they were serving became independent.
"The House has on many occasions recognised the rôle of the Services and Security Forces in Cyprus during the recent years. Their patience and devotion to duty has been beyond praise. Valuable lives have been lost, of Servicemen and civilians. These can never be replaced, but I hope that all who mourn their loss will realise that they have not died in vain. Their sacrifice has prevented the widening of conflict and strife, with all its attendant dangers.
"I regard this agreement as a victory for reason and co-operation. No party to it has suffered a defeat—it is a victory for all. By removing a source of bitterness and division, it will 436 enable us and our Allies, and the people of Cyprus, to concentrate on working together for peace and freedom".
§ 7.22 p.m.
§ LORD PETHICK-LAWRENCEMy Lords, I am sure that your Lordships will be glad that we have had the opportunity of hearing this statement before the week's Business in this House was concluded. I am speaking for all those behind me on the Opposition Benches, and I feel no hesitation whatever in according the most hearty welcome to the statement that has been read to us by the noble Earl the Leader of the House. It is a wonderful thing that good sense has at last come to all parties in this matter of the island of Cyprus. We are very glad indeed that the terrible things that have been happening have, presumably, come to an end. We are also very glad that our great friends the Greeks and the Turks are once more united to us, in heart as well as in long memories of friendly traditions, and we hope that the future of this island, which has been so much in our thoughts during these years, will be prosperous and that there will be no return whatever of the events of the last few years.
I should like only to add that I am glad to think that it was partly at the United Nations that the first move, which resulted in negotiations between the Greek and the Turkish Governments, was initiated. I presume that, if we ask for a debate on this matter—it is much too early for me to know whether that will be desired or not—the noble Earl the Leader of the House will be willing to grant it.
On behalf of the Opposition, I should like to accept with the greatest pleasure the statement that was made about the British Commonwealth. I am quite sure that, if it should prove to be the case (as we hope it may be) that the people of Cyprus wish to remain within the Commonwealth, it will be welcomed with great satisfaction by all sections of the people in this country.
Finally, I would also pay the tribute of those sitting on these Benches to the men and the women who have taken part in these very difficult times in Cyprus on behalf of our country; and I say to those of them who intend to stay in the island that I hope they will find an opportunity 437 of rendering that service which British men and women have rendered all over the world in similar circumstances.
§ 7.26 p.m.
LORD REAMy Lords, I should like to support in every respect the words which have fallen from the noble Lord, Lord Pethick-Lawrence—particularly, perhaps, his last paragraph, in which he paid tribute to those who have worked so hard and suffered so much and been so patient during these very difficult times. There was just one phrase in the Prime Minister's statement which particularly struck me. He talked about "permanent peace" in the island. I think there is in our hearts a prayer that that shall come about in that troubled island, where carnage and misery and difficulty have, I hope, finished for ever. I also hope that this unfortunate and unhappy experience that we have been through for so long may teach us all how to set about these things, so that, if some similar troubles should arise in some other Quarter, we shall, perhaps, know a little better how to deal with them. This statement is a matter for rejoicing. It would be quite improper to analyse the past, the future, or the present, or to say anything more than that we welcome it most wholeheartedly, and are extremely glad to have it.
§ 7.28 p.m.
§ LORD HARDING OF PETHERTONMy Lords, as one who has had some hand in the affairs of Cyprus during the past few years, may I say how very warmly I welcome this good news that agreement has been reached on the future of Cyprus and that that island, and all those people whose home is there, can now look forward to happier days, to more peaceful times and to growing prosperity. May I say that I am most devoutly thankful that common sense has at last prevailed, and that statesmanship by the three Governments concerned has brought about an agreement which has proved itself to be acceptable to all the other parties who are also so closely concerned in this problem—the two main communities who live in Cyprus.
So far as I am able to judge from the details which have been announced so far, it seems to me that our political responsibilities as the Sovereign Power to the people of Cyprus, and our military requirements in Cyprus, for our own and 438 our Allies' use, have been adequately met by this agreement. As one of your Lordships has recently said, that is a matter to be gone into in more detail at a later stage, but it seems to me important at this stage to say—and to say quite firmly and definitely—that, in my view, these responsibilities are covered and these requirements can and will be met.
Finally, by Lords, may I say how glad I am that in the statement we have just heard read, tribute has been paid to those men and women of the Security Forces and the public services in Cyprus for the devoted way in which they have carried out their duties over four long, difficult and dangerous years. I am very glad indeed that Her Majesty's Government have made it plain to those who mourn, those who have suffered and those who have stayed in Cyprus that their sacrifice and their service have not been in vain.
§ 7.30 p.m.
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I am grateful for the way in which the noble Lord, Lord Pethick-Lawrence, the noble Lord, Lord Rea, and the noble and gallant Field-Marshal have welcomed this statement. Of course, it lifts a great weight of anxiety off the, shoulders of all of us. That Greece and Turkey and the United Kingdom should once more find themselves in harmony is, in itself, of great significance and goes far beyond the particular problem of Cyprus, though we are glad indeed to feel that there is a prospect of peace at last for that island.
The noble Lord, Lord Pethick-Lawrence, asked that, if it seemed appropriate, we might debate this matter at a future date. We will certainly provide an occasion for that if, after a study of the White Paper and the documents, the noble Lords opposite and the House feel that that should be done. I am sorry that there was no previous notice and no previous copies. On the whole, I think that the feeling of the House this evening will be one of great relief.