CYPRUS—THE OTHER SIDE
SIR,—A damaging division within the Western World, which has contributed to the Middle Eastern crisis, has been the Greco-Turkish rift, caused by a wrong British approach to the question of Cyprus. The tripartite con- ference in London resulted in open conflict between Greece and Turkey, the repercussions of which upon NATO and the Ballian alliance considerably weakened the Western position in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
The defence of the West, as well as the pro- tection of vital British oil interests in the Middle East, requires a complete reappraisal of policy, which should be more consistent with the spirit of the times. It should be realised that Communism today takes full advantage of anti-imperialist nationalism. A policy which antagonises that nationalism results not in countering, but in assisting Com- munist infiltration. The supply of oil would he far more safely based on modern com- mercial agreements with sovereign peoples than on military operations. Correspondingly, defence requirements in Cyprus would be effectively settled by agreed solutions with a free and friendly local population through self- determination, rather than by insisting on colonial subjection against the will of the Cypriot people.—Yours faithfully,
ZENON ROSSIDES
Delegate of the Ethnarchy Council of Cy,prus Park Lane Hotel, WI
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