CYPRUS
Sm,—Mr. Harold Soref has performed a great public service in exposing the real motives be- hind the Greek Cypriot demands for enosis. It is obvious that Britain must stand firm and absolutely refuse to hand over this important strategic island to the Greek Ethnarchists and their militant Communist allies.
The Greek Government, by supporting the enosis movement and by permitting outrageous and Goebbels-like anti-British broadcasts over Athens Radio, has done great harm to the Western cause. Their blind folly has infuriated Turkey and virtually destroyed the Balkan Alliance. The Greeks have also shown the basest ingratitude towards Britain — their country's oldest friend and helper since the days of Byron. Greek moral support for the obscurantist Archbishop Makarios and for the EOKA terrorists has in fact obliged Moscow and no one else.
In view of (a) the vital importance of our maintaining the important Cyprus base and Middle East HQ in British hands, and (b) our bounden duty to protect the passionately loyal and pro-British Cypriot Turks, it is quite obvious that enosis is absolutely impossible and will always remain so. The realistic Turkish Government understands this fully. After passions have cooled down (if Athens Radio allows this to happen), it might be possible to consider partial self-government for Cyprus, together with Cypriot representatives in the House of Commons on the Ulster (or proposed Malta) model. Such a compromise plan might be well worth considering. It could bring prosperity to Cyprus and the protection of British troops too. Enosis, on the other hand, would mean only economic misery for
all Cypriots — Greek and Turkish alike.— Yours faithfully, F. CARRUTHERS TURNER
21 Dalton Road, Wallasey, Cheshire
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