May 19, 1956
MITSOTAKIS: During yesterday’s session of Parliament, a question on the cancellation of the visit by the US Sixth Fleet to Souda Bay, raised by deputy Mr G. Papadopetros, was debated.(…) Mr Constantine Mitsotakis said that in his opinion the Cretan people were greatly disappointed, primarily with the British and secondly with the American government, since it had not stood by the Greek people during a critical period, when tension over the Cyprus issue was at a pitch. The article in the Herald newspaper had not been inflammatory, but had simply pointed out the risks of incidents, which the state authorities had also pointed out and the government (of Constantine Karamanlis) had admitted, since it had recommended that the Sixth Fleet not visit Souda. He said that it was not true that he had gone (to Crete) to incite the NATO airport workers to strike (…) and that the workers were exercising their legal right to protest, along with the rest of the Greek nation, against the hanging of the Cypriot patriots Karaolis and Dimitriou by the British. As for the rally in the town of Hania, he said that it had taken place in a completely orderly manner, in contrast to that organized by the government in Athens.
