( _. !.>, :/

ORIGINAL: EMGLISH

LETTER DATED 20 JULY 1973 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF TURKEY TO THE UNITED NATIQNS ADDRESSEDTO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

I have the honour to present herewith a letter dated 5 July 1973, addressed to Your Excellency by Mr. Rauf R. Denktag, Vice-President of the Republic of . I shall be grateful if Your Excellency would kindly have Vice-President Mr. Denktag's letter circulated as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Osman OLCAY Ambassador Permanent Representative S/lO973~ ,English Page 2

Letter dated 5 July 1973 from Mr. R. R. Denktas, Vice-President of the Pepublic of Cyprus, addressed to the Secretary-General

I have been compelled to address this communication to Yotir Excellency in view of the misleading and false allegations contained in the Greek Cypri.It representative Mr. Rossides's addresses during the recent Security Council debate on Cyprus. In his reference to local talks Mr. Rossides stated that negotiations at the local talks "are being conducted upon a concrete constitutional basis already agreed upon> which provides for a unitary State" and went on to say that "the term ?unitary State' has a clearly defined legal meaning and content, the essential characteristic of it, as distinct from a federal State, being that institutions of local government function under the control of the State".

Mr. Olcay, the Turkish Governmentss Permanent Representative at the United Nations, has already explained to the Council the views of the Turkish Government and those of the Turkish community of Cyprus on this controversial issue so I will not dwell on it at any length but will simply put on record that there has been no agreement between the parties as to the definition of the term "unitary State"; on the contrary this phrase, when introduced into the literature of the talks at a later stage, immediately became a cause of controversy between the two sides and had'to be put aside pending an agreement on the essence of the matter, because it became obvious that the unitary State which the Greek Cypriot Administration has in mind amounts to the denial of our partnership status in the independence and sovereignty of Cyprus and the reduction of the Turkish community to the status of a mere minority in complete .disregard of its acquired rights and status. This, as far as the Turkish community is concerned, has never been agreed to be a basis for discussions 'at the intercommunal talks, : i On the question of deconfrontation and normalization, Mr. Rossides has blamed the Turkish Cypriot leadership for the lack of any progress in this direction and stated that the Greek Cypriot side had all along and on-all occasions declared its willingness to accept general and islandwide military deconfrontation. I attach as appendix A a recent public outcry on the question of the return of 6,000 Turkish refugees to Omorphita (a suburb. of ) and leave it to Your Excellency to judge the sincerity of Mr. Rossides's statement that his principals are for normalization and deconfrontation.

Furthermore, it is not easy to understand how Mr. Rossides reconciles his "Government's (.') willingness to accept general and islandwide deconfrontation" with'the continuing illegal importation of warlike materials and heavy arms and ammunition into Cyprus which, in the words of the United Nations Secretariat, "is a cause for concern to the United Nations Force with regard to the discharge of its mandate" (S/76ll/Add.l, para. 3; s/5764, para. 120; S/5950, para. 37). It is also difficult to envisage a reduction of our/defence measures at a time when terrorism and violence has brought the island to the verge of inter-Greek civil war with all the dangers of a jump-over to the Turkish community at its zenith!

/ ..* S/l0973 English Page 3

Greek Cypriot armed factions are confronting each other over the issue that their respective policy is the correct policy for achieving union with . How can Mr. Rossides accuse the Turkish community for maintaining its vigilance for the protection of the independence and sovereignty of Cyprus at this ever critical stage?

In his reference to the question of freedom of movement Mr. Rossides accused the Turkish Cypriot leadership of failing to respond to the Greek Cypriot side's "initiative of unilateral elimination in 1967 of all restrictions on freedom of movementi' and of following a policy of excessive separatism which runs counter to the vital interests of the country and more particularly to the interests of the themselves, having regard to the resulting imbalance in the economic well-being between the two communities.

Firstly, the Greek Cypriot side has not eliminated all restrictions on freedom of movement as Mr. Rossides has found convenient to state. There are in Cyprus "restricted areas" of an extent of 60 square miles to which even UNFICYP is denied access (s/6102, para. 127). In addition to these, extensive areas of land along the coasts of the island and whole Turkish villages such as Omorphita, Mansoura, Ayios Theodoros, Alevka, Sellain tvApi, and Vroisha have been similarly declared "restricted areas*' which Turkish Cypriots are not allowed to enter even for agricultural purposes.

The underlying purpose of the Greek Cypriot's desire for unrestricted freedom of movement within Turkish enclaves is the plan to extend their authority and writ into the Turkish areas with a view to completing the circle of their attempt to deprive the Turks of all their rights by a series of faits accomplis. If the Greek Cypriot side is really interested in normalization measures which would improve relations between the two communities and enable the Turkish j communityfs economic betterment, there are hundreds of other ways through which this can be achieved. They can, for example, adopt normalization measures such as:

(a) The rehabilitation of Turkish ;

(b) The removal of the'restrictions banning the entry of Turkish Cypriots to their properties in Omorphita, Mansoura, Ayios Theodoros, Alevka, Sellain t'Appi and Vroisha villages and in coastal areas such as the 3rd mile post and Shepherd's Beach areas in Kyrenia and Gaziveran, Tylliria and Ay. Irini village areas; (c) The payment of the additional assistance amounting to fl$J9,219 due to Turkish Cypriots in respect of grain delivered to the'Grain Commission during the years -1971 and 1972; (d) The payment of old-age pension and'other social insurance benefits to Turkish Cypriots which were stopped after the commencement of intercommunal disturbances in ;

(e) The payment of s&l&es and other remuneration of Turkish Cypriot public servants which have been discontinued since ; I . . .

- s/1.0973 English Page 4 :

(f) The p&yment-of education grant due to the Turkish Communal Chamber under the Constitution, which is now in the region of El3 million;

(g) The removal of the discrimination in the electrification of Turkish villages (although all Greek villages in the island have been provided with electricity, there are 97 Turkish villages which are still without electricity);' C- !! . (h) The cessation of the financial exploitation of the Turkish community by [ the forced payment of illegal taxes into the budget of the Greek Cypriot g,, ' Administration without any benefits accruing to it in return; "iii (i) The payment of compensation to enable the reconstruction and/or repair t of 103 mosques which have been destroyed by during the intercommunal 6 j. disturbances; 1 _'(5s, (j) The cessation of the exploitation of Evkaf (i.e. properties appropriated I't and dedicated to charitable uses and the service of God); .> B, (k) The introduction of practical measures enabling the Turkish community \;. t to benefit from the economic and technical aid given to Cyprus under the United "';"r I Nations Development Programme and from other foreign aid; ,*, (1) The payment of the subsidy amounting to approximately g230,OOO due to : ,Turkish vine-growers under'the Wine Products Subsidy Scheme in respect of the years 1971 and 1972;

. (m) The payment to the Turkish Co-operative Central Bank of Cyprus of the :' sum of ~187,312 representing 20 per cent deductions over and above the total debts 1:' due by the Bank and Turkish Co-operative Societies to the Greek Cypriot Administration and/or the Loan Commissioners, made from the value of wheat and : ~ ;z.! : barley delivered by Turkish producers. g,Yi Your Excellency will appreciate that all the above normalization measures, which are connected with eco'nomic and humane matters, can restore the lost confidence and improve the relations between the two communities without in any way affecting the' political case of either side.

Finally I should like to refer to'one other mischievous allegation contained in Mr. Rossides's address, namely, the allegation about the Turkish Cypriot leadership discouraging the Turkish Cypriots from talking to or having any contacts or dealings with Greek Cypriots and punishing those who disobeyed with fines and/or imprisonment. This allegation is entirely ti fabricated one and its aim can be none other than to justify the continuation of the inhuman and unjust treatment of the Turkish ,Community. Your Excellency is well aware of the fact that the Turkish Cypriot leadership, and myself personally,. have been persistently drawing the attention of . /* the Greek Cypriot side at the local talks to the dangers of the undue prolongation Of the'separation brought about as a result of the Greek Cypriot attacks and have / . . . s/10973 English Page 5

,. been pressing them to abandon their intransigent attitude so that an enuitable solution based on permanent independence is found to the CYPrus problem before it is too late. Mr. Rossides is, undoubtedly, also aware of this situation. In the circumstances, his above ill-conceived allegation is, to say the least, not consistent with the high position he holds at the United Nations.

I shall be grateful if this communication may be circulated as a Security Council document.

(Signed) R. R. DENKTAS Vice-President Republic of Cyprus

I . . . S/l0973 English Appendix A Page 1

Appendix,A

The Greek newspaper Mahi published on 24 June 1973 the following statement, which was made by the Greek residents of Omorphita (a suburb of Niqosia):

"The Greek residents of Omorphita have published a statement in which. they expressed their indignation concerning the demand shamelessly made by the Turkish Leader Denktas for the return of the Turks to Omorphita. "The statement reads as follows:

"We are in a deep anger and indignation for being reminded of the bloody Christmas of 1963 when the Turks of Omorphita subjected the Greeks to genocide. It seems that Denktaq has felt the need of using Omorphita again as a centre of aggression. This insolent Turkish Leader is preparing for a new bloody round to recapture Omorphita. But we want it to be known that the Greek residents of Omorphita, who have lived to see the Turkish barbarism and have shed their blood to defend their soil, will not risk their homes and children's future by allowing the return of Turkish snakes into their bosoms. We do not feel hatred against our Cypriot Turkish ,neighbours but the recent hair-raising incidents show that the Turks will stealthily launch a new attack against this heroic suburb at the first opportunity.

"Let Denktas forget Omorphita. Omorphita is Greek, has been Greek in the past and shall remain Greek in the future. Whatever the cost, we are determined to protect it as Greeks.."

---a-