May 5, 1954
PAPAGOS-CYPRUS: The prime minister, Field Marshal Alexandros Papagos, made the following statements yesterday on the Cyprus issue: «(…) The Greek government cannot ignore the demand of the 400,000 Greeks of Cyprus who are asking to have the same destiny as all other Greeks. It cannot ignore that demand for another reason, which is of more general interest to the entire free world. The growing feeling among the Greek public everywhere and the hostility against Britain in a sensitive region of the Atlantic Defense pact is a risk which the Greek government, deeply conscious of its obligations, cannot overlook. (…) If the British government continues with its negative stance, the Greek government will have no other choice but to take recourse to the United Nations. By persisting with a moderate policy, Greece will exhaust all the available time at its disposal before the UN General Assembly regulations, and on August 22 it will ask that the Cyprus issue be included on the agenda of the General Assembly which begins on September 21.»
