CYPRUS DISPUTE AGAIN MOVING INTO DIPLOMATIC ARENA
Greek-Turkish tensions over Cyprus were relaxed mar edly prior to the abortive Greek royal coup attempt onecember, and the island has since remained generally quiet as the UN nowurther extension of its mandate.
Page ii WEEKLYDec 67
cyprus dispute again koving into diplomatic arena
tensions over Cyrpus were relaxed markedly prior to the abortive Greek royal coup attempt onecember, and the island has since remained generally quiet as the UN nowurther extension of its mandate. As of mid-week, Greek trocpS wore loaving the islandaster rate than earlier anticipated, and all sides were trying to ensure that there would be no provocativeto hamper the operation.
In Turkey, the military alert ever Cyprus appeared to fee relaxing. The Turkish Army,apparently intends toabout one third of the forces it has deployed along thecoast and near the Greek-Turkish border until adiplomatic settlement has been reached. The Turks are not planning any immediate removal cf their unauthorized troops from Cyprus.
The unstable politicalin Greece may lead toTurkish vigilance along its western border and may slow troop withdrawal from the area, but it probably will not alter appreciably Ankara's attitude toward Cyprus. The Turksregard the Greek problem as strictly internal; they may even believe that it willthe withdrawal of Greek forces from the island.
With Athens divertedew domestic crisis, Ankara ond Nicosia maytheof ar. independent Cyprussore movesutuallyresolution of theirigh-level Turkish Cyprlot leader recently declared for the first tine that theCypriot community istoevision of0 Cyprus constitution.
The UN Security Council meets this week tourther extension of its peacekeeping mission on Cyprus. While there may be some opposition within the Council, the mandate probably will be renewed, althoughfor less than the usual six raonths. There is generalamong the Interested parties that the sutndate should bebut the dobate could nonetheless becooe heated. Makarios, who personallyimple extension of the mandate, says ho is worried that the USSR slight try to exploit the debate. He characterized the Soviet role during thecrisis as "ambiguous."
On Cyprus, Makarios' program is having
trouble getting started. He fears that armed extremist groups of both the left and right may emerge following the withdrawal of the mainland Greek troops. The Greek Cypriots have offered to relax controls on "strategic" materials andumber of armed positions if theCypriots withdraw fromkey positions. The initial
Turkish and Turkish Cypriothas been negative, but there may be some maneuverability or. this issue. The Turks also have been critical of theof the UN force in controlling the fighting during the recent crisis and have little confidence that it wouldto protect them in the fu-ture.
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Dec 67
Original document.
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