CONCLUSIONS OF THE TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOURTH MEETING OF THE MINISTERS' DEPUTIES held in Strasbourg on 21 and 22 August 1974 Present : AUSTRIA Mr H. LAUBE would never accept a convocation to a meeting Mr E. STAFFELMAYR of the Committee of Ministers or that of the Deputies from a member of the Greek-Cypriot BELGIUM Mr J.J. LODEWYCK community. Having full respect for the initiative Mr M. DE MOUDT taken by the President of the Assembly, his CYPRUS Mr P. MODINOS, government expressed its readiness to attend Chairman any meeting to discuss any problems concerning Mr G. LYCOURGOS Cyprus if that meeting was arranged in a legal DENMARK Mr A. ROSENSTAND framework. Consequently, before the meeting HANSEN opened, he submitted that the Chair should be Mr R.R. BRUSVANG vacated forthwith by the Greek-Cypriot Repre- Mr H.H. LILJEBORG sentative and handed over to the Representative FRANCE Mr A. FÉQUANT of Denmark, as it was to him that the right and Mr M. BESNARD responsibility of chairmanship of their Committee FEDERAL passed after the recent events affecting Cyprus. REPUBLIC After having spoken on a strictly personal OF GERMANY Mr E. SCHMITT basis of his satisfaction that Mr Modinos was in Mr W. GLOSAUER good health, he expressed the hope that a dur- ICELAND able solution to the problem would be attained IRELAND Mr S. Ó HÉIDEAIN on a just and equitable basis to allow friend- ITALY Mr V. RAPOLLA ship, mutual trust and fruitful co-operation to Mr L. PIVANO flourish among those concerned. He then said that his government categorically objected to LUXEMBOURG Mr P. MERTZ. the presence in the Committee of a member of MALTA the Greek-Cypriot community pretending to rep- NETHERLANDS Mr J.I.M. WELSING resent the Cypriot Government. The coup d'état, Mr Th.M. KASTEEL engineered by the Greek officers in co-operation NORWAY Mr L. EDWARDSEN with the Greek-Cypriot National Guard on SWEDEN Mr S. STROEMHOLM 15 July, swept away whatever legality the constitutional regime had left in Cyprus. It was SWITZERLAND Mr A. WACKER as early as 1963 that the Greek-Cypriot domin- Mr A. GREBER ated government headed by Archbishop Makarios TURKEY Mr R. GÜMRÜKÇÜOGLU had embarked upon a course of systematic Mr E.K. AKAY violations of the Constitution and abrogated Mr M. BALKAN many of its provisions relating to the rights of Mr C. ALTAN the Turkish community. UNITED KINGDOM Mr P.A. GRIER Although the Turkish Government repeatedly drew attention to the fact that these violations The 234th meeting of the Deputies opened seriously jeopardised the constitutional charac- on Wednesday, 21 August 1974, at 10.40 a.m. ter of the regime, Turkey continued to tolerate with Mr P. Modinos, Deputy for the Minister for them. The Turkish Government hoped with the Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, in the Chair. utmost goodwill that a return to constitutional rule would eventually be attained and it was The Chairman spoke of his emotion at find- expected that the inter-communal talks would ing himself in Strasbourg after recent events. He pave the way for this. But, as a result of the had been in Cyprus at the time they were taking intransigent attitude of the Greek-Cypriot com- place and had suffered with the rest of the munity, the talks, although they had lasted for Cypriot population. He wished to thank his col- more than six years, failed to yield concrete leagues and the staff of the Council of Europe results. However, they were continuing when for the sympathy which they had shown him. the military coup put an end to whatever consti- tutional rule was left on the island. Hopes to The Representative of Turkey, on a point of find solutions to outstanding problems through order, stated that they had received instructions peaceful means had been ruined. from their government to attend this meeting at the invitation of the Secretariat dated 20 August The putschists established an illegal govern- 1974. The Turkish Government could not and ment and created a deplorable, unacceptable - 1 - Conclusions of the 234th meeting of the Deputies - 21 to 22 August 1974 situation. Turkey felt obliged to assume her The Chairman pointed out that he had him- treaty obligations for the preservation of terri- self envisaged passing the Chair to the Danish torial integrity, independence of the island and Representative, as the French Representative for the restoration of constitutional rule and of had just suggested. the bi-communal State of Cyprus. The unfortun- ate coup d'état destroyed the entire structure of The Representative of Austria, on the point the state, leaving in the island two communities of order raised by the Turkish Representative, with their autonomous administrations. stressed that in the view of the Austrian Govern- ment there could be no doubt as to the legitimacy Until such time as a unified state was set of the Clerides Government; the Cypriot delegate up again and constitutional rule returned to the was therefore fully entitled to fulfil his func- island, these two autonomous administrations tions as Chairman of the Committee and as would maintain their separate existence and Permanent Representative of Cyprus. competence. This fact was also acknowledged in the Geneva Declaration signed on 30 July The Representatives of Belgium and the 1974 by the three guarantor powers. Consequent- United Kingdom said that their delegations ly in the absence of a government having auth- shared France's view. ority and jurisdiction over all of the island there could be no representatives to represent The Representative of Turkey, on a point of that government. This held true also in respect order, said that the observations that were being of representation in the Council of Europe. made should be made under the chairmanship of Therefore the Greek-Cypriot Representative was the Representative of Denmark. not entitled to speak for Cyprus. The Council of Europe was not an organisation operating at The Representative of France thought that community level. To invite community represent- if the chairmanship were contested by any del- atives required prior consultation among the egation, the Committee should decide the matter member governments. If a representative of the by a vote before proceeding to discuss the Greek-Cypriot community were invited, then a agenda. representative from the Turkish-Cypriot com- munity had to be invited also as the two com- Speaking on the Turkish Representative's munities were on the same footing. The Turkish point of order, the Representative of Luxembourg Government was not aware that such consulta- indicated his support for the French position. tion had taken place and that a decision to this effect had been taken. No fait accompli could The Representatives of Ireland, the Federal be accepted in this respect. Republic of Germany, Switzerland, the Nether- lands, Denmark and Sweden said that they He believed that no one was entitled to shared the same position as their French col- ignore basic rules and statutory obligations on league. which the organisation operated. The Committee of Ministers could not embark upon a course The Chairman took note of the majority which risked prejudicing the validity of its which had emerged, if the Turkish Representa- actions and decisions. Consequently, until such tive's position were disregarded, in support of time as the status of Cyprus was definitely the Cypriot delegation's representative character determined and a constitutional government had and said that he would surrender the Chair to been set up on the island, with due competence the Danish Representative, appointed by the to fulfil the fundamental conditions laid down in Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs to speak for the Statute for membership, taking also into Denmark at the present meeting, once the main account the stipulations of Articles 3, 4 and 8, items on the agenda came up for discussion. He and pending the designation of a representative said that the Swedish Minister for Foreign of such a government, the representation of Affairs had appointed Mr Sten Stroemholm to Cyprus at the Committee of Ministers should be represent Sweden at the meeting ; the Icelandic considered as suspended. Ambassador, while approving the holding of the meeting, had regretted that he could not attend ; Speaking on the Turkish Representative's the Maltese Ambassador had indicated his point of order, the Representative of France approval of the meeting by telex and had re- said that the French Government recognised quested that the text should be read out : Mr Modinos as Representative of Cyprus at the Council of Europe and Chairman of the Ministers' "The Maltese Government regrets that it is Deputies. It did not object, however, to the unable to send a representative but wholehearted- Cypriot Representative passing the Chair to the ly supports all efforts made to restore the Representative of Denmark while the questions constitutional government of Cyprus." on the agenda were discussed in detail. The Representative of Denmark took the Chair at 10.55 a.m. - 2 - Conclusions of the 234th meeting of the Deputies - 21 to 22 August 1974 The Chairman expressed the hope that the engineered - he himself possessed proof of this - meeting would comprise useful and objective by unspecified forces resolved to overthrow the discussions. constitutional order and pointed out that the latter had in fact been suspended for five days The Representative of Turkey said that he but that no government had accepted or recog- would use his best endeavours to be as construc- nised the fact. Thus the United Nations had tive and co-operative as circumstances permitted, accepted and recognised the Cypriot representa- and hoped that he would enjoy the goodwill of tive, Mr Zenon Rossides, while Cyprus's repre- his colleagues.