§ 2.43 p.m.
§ Lord BETHELLMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a request for the supply of armaments has been received from the Turkish Government, and whether they will make it clear to the Turkish Govevrnment that no arms will be supplied so long as the Turkish Army remains in illegal occupation of part of Cyprus, a country whose sovereignty and integrity Britain has guaranteed by treaty.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)My Lords, Her Majesty's Government have received a request from the Turkish Governmbent to supply certain arms to enable Turkey to) fulfil her obligations to NATO. We shall consider all applications for arms sales to Turkey individually and on their merits, including the relevance of any request to Turkey's ability to discharge her obligations towards NATO defence. We shall continue to take into account the situation in Cyprus and the need for 1283 improvement in the present unsatisfactory position of British residents in the Turkish-held part of the island. We shall review our policy if there is any serious threat of renewed fighting in Cyprus. We are also prepared to consider Greek applications for arms sales.
§ Lord BETHELLMy Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that extremely detailed reply. Is the noble Lord aware that most of us will share his concern for NATO and appreciate the strong Turkish contribution to NATO. Is he, however, further aware that British arms were used during both Turkish invasions of Cyprus last summer, and if we supply more arms to Turkey these will be used to maintain a military occupation in Northern Cyprus in violation of the sovereignty which we, as a country, guaranteed?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I think the noble Lord will find, when he further studies the terms of this Answer, that the points he has raised are fully met. I note with satisfaction what he has said about the Turkish membership of NATO and I hope he will agree with me that the Greek membership of NATO is also important. As to the supply of arms to Turkey, this is almost totally from sources other than the United Kingdom.
§ Lord PARGITERMy Lords, will the noble Lord agree that having regard to the position of Turkey "shopping around" for arms on the excuse that they are required for NATO, it is highly desirable for NATO to consider the matter? And will Her Majesty's Government take the necessary steps?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I take the point. NATO has indeed had the whole position under careful consideration and no doubt will be considering it further in the future.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, while endorsing the request of the noble Lord, Lord Bethell, may I ask the Minister, in view of his very full reply, whether it is not now desirable that constructive steps should be taken towards the solution of this problem? Will he tell us whether the Minister of State, who is now in Athens, intends to proceed to Ankara 1284 wtih a view to reaching some settlement of this problem?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, the constructive step, very strongly supported by the United Kingdom, was the decision to convene a meeting of the two communities in Vienna under the chairmanship of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The next round of those crucial talks will take place next month, and once more one may express cautious optimism that under such distinguished chairmanship ways may be found in Vienna for a breakthrough in this dangerous and difficult situation. As to my right honourable friend the Minister of State, he is, as my noble friend has said, on a visit to the Eastern Mediterranean. He will probably be in Ankara by now and he informs me that, like myself, he has taken full note of the prolonged exchange we had on Monday relative to the position of British residents in Cyprus and will raise the matter directly with the Turkish Government in Ankara.
§ Lord CARADONMy Lords, will the noble Lord agree that at this critical time it is of the utmost importance that neither this Government nor any other NATO Government should encourage the impasse in Cyprus which is leading to so much suffering and injustice?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I think that sentiment will be warmly applauded in every part of the House and indeed by every member of NATO. I welcome my noble friend's contribution in that sense, backed as it is by his considerable experience and great service in that part of the world in the cause of international peace. The aim is to balance the needs of NATO, which are important to those countries as well as to ours, with the need for an early and lasting solution of the inter-communal trouble in Cyprus.
§ Lord SLATERMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that it is most interesting to hear from him, as the Minister responsible for answering this Question, about whether Her Majesty's Government are satisfied with the application which has been made by the Turkish Government for these arms, in regard to their connection with NATO? Secondly, would it not be interesting to note the 1285 observations that were made by the noble Lord, Lord Bethell, in the first place, that British arms were used in Cyprus, and could we be informed where such information has come from, so that we may arrive at a judgment in this matter?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I am not in a position to comment on the last point made by my noble friend relative to the supplementary question put by the noble Lord, Lord Bethell, as to the origin of the arms used in the disturbance last year. What I do know is that Turkish arms are almost totally obtained from sources other than the United Kingdom. As to the first point made by my noble friend Lord Slater, I can assure him once more that we shall consider carefully, in the light of the two criteria I mentioned—namely, the role of Turkey as an important member of NATO and also the situation in Cyprus—how we deal with any application which may emanate from that country or from Greece to us for help in regard to arms.
§ Earl COWLEYMy Lords, since the noble Lord said in one of his earlier replies that his right honourable friend was having talks with the Turkish Government concerning the position of British citizens in Cyprus, will he make a statement to the House on the results of those negotiations?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I will consult with my right honourable friend the Foreign Minister as to the advisability and the utility of such a statement in one or other or both Houses of Parliament.
The Earl of LYTTONMy Lords, would the noble Lord agree with me, in a situation where there have been grievous mistakes by the Greeks, the Turks, and the Cyprus Government, that at least the invasion of Cyprus by the Turks restored democracy to Greece, for which we should be duly thankful?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I thank my noble friend, if I may so call him. His supplementary question has invited us into the realm of debate rather than dealing with the original Question.