CYPRUS (Hansard, 17 February 1964)

§ Mr. R. A. Butler

The Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom sent a letter to the President of the Security Council on 15th February, requesting an early meeting of the Security Council to consider the dangerous situation which now prevails in Cyprus. I am circulating a copy of this letter in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

I would rather not add anything further until the Security Council has met and proceeded with its deliberations.

Following is the letter:

Text of United Kingdom Permanent Representative's Letter to President of Security Council of February 15.

Sir:

I have the honour to refer to the letter dated January 8, 1964 (S/5508) addressed to the President of the Security Council by the Acting Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom.

In that letter the Acting Permanent Representatives of the United Kingdom supplied on behalf of my Government full information on the steps taken within the spirit of the Charter by the United Kingdom Government, in close cooperation with the Governments of Turkey and Greece, to avoid bloodshed and to promote a solution of the problems arising from the outbreak of intercommunal disturbances in Cyprus.

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In that letter reference was also made to the holding of a conference to resolve the difficulties which had arisen and to the joint request on behalf of the Governments of the United Kingdom, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus to the Secretary-General of the United Nations to appoint a representative to act as a United Nations observer in Cyprus, whose rôle would be to observe the progress of the peacemaking operation, and to report on it to the Secretary-General.

As Your Excellency is aware, the agreements which led to the establishment of Cyprus as an independent Republic were concluded in London on February 19, 1959. These agreements established the basic structure for the Republic of Cyprus including provisions governing the relationships between the two Cypriot communities. They also provided for a special relationship between Cyprus and the Governments of the United Kingdom, of Greece, and of Turkey and for a Treaty of Alliance between Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. The special relationship to which I refer was confirmed by the Treaty of Guarantee of August 16, 1960 which placed responsibilities upon the Re public of Cyprus for the maintenance of the independence, territorial integrity and security and for the basic provisions of the Constitution and by which the Governments of the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey undertook to guarantee the independence, territorial integrity and security of the Republic of Cyprus and the basic provisions of the Constitution.

Article 4 of that Treaty provided that, in the event of a breach of the Treaty's provisions, the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey under take to consult together and, if necessary, to take steps to ensure the observance of those provisions.

The present political difficulties on Cyprus have their origin in a dispute between the two communities on the island, which dispute has led to a progressive deterioration in internal security. International concern with this problem stems from the special treaty relationships to which I have referred and which as I have noted, imposed particular responsibilities on the guarantor Powers.

After the request by the Government of Cyprus that the Government of the United Kingdom, in conjunction with the Governments of Greece and Turkey should use the troops stationed in Cyprus to assist in securing the preservation of the cease-fire and the restoration of peace had been met, it became clear that an augmented Force would be required if conditions of internal security were to be restored. The Government of the United Kingdom have been in constant consultation win the Government of Cyprus and with the Governments of Greece and Turkey and with a number of other Governments about the need to associate the forces of other nations in an international peacekeeping arrangement on the island.

While agreement on these arrangements has been reached among the guarantor Powers and certain other Governments, I regret to have to inform you that owing to the inability so far of the Government of Cyprus to agree, it has not yet proved possible to bring the arrangements contemplated into effect.

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Meanwhile, security in the island of Cyprus has seriously deteriorated and tension between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities has risen gravely. This deterioration culminated in a serious act of violence in the town of Limassol on February 12. In these grave circumstances, I have been instructed by my Government to request that an early meeting of the Security Council be called to consider this urgent matter and to take appropriate steps to ensure that the dangerous situation which now prevails can be resolved with a full regard to the rights and responsibilities of both of the Cypriot communities, of the Government of Cyprus and of the Governments party to the Treaty of Guarantee.