S/PV.2107 Security Council

I have received letters from the representatives of Cyprus, Greece and Turkey, in which they request to be invited to participate in the discussion. I therefore propose, in accordance with the provisions of Article 31 of the Charter and rule 37 of the provisional rules of procedure, to invite those representatives to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Council agrees to this proposal. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Rossides (Cj~prus), Mr, Papouh’as (Greece) and Mr. Era@ (Turkey) took places at the Council table.

I should also like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Turkey, in which he requests that Mr. Nail Atalay should be invited to participate in the discussion. I therefore propose, if I hear no objection, to extend an invitation to Mr. Atalay in accordance with rule 39 of the provisional rules of procedure. It was so decided.

Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations operation in Cyprus [S/12946 and Add.11 for the period 1 June to 30 November 1978. In addition, the Council has before it the text of a draft resolution contained in document S/12968, which was drawn up during the course of consultations among the members of the Council. 4. I shall now put the draft resolution to the vote. A vote was taken by show of hands. I7ze draft resolution was adopted by 14 votes to none. 1 One member (China) did not participate in the voting,

The first speaker is the representative of Cyprus, on whom I call.

Mr. President, I wish, in the first place, to thank you and the members of the Council for inviting me to participate once again, on behalf of my Government, in the discussions on the item. I would also take this opportunity to express to you our sincere congratulations on your assumption of the office of President. We feel certain that your high qualifications, your diplomatic skill and your experience will serve the Council well in the conduct of its deliberations. 7. It is also my pleasant duty to express once again, on behalf of my Govertiment, our deep appreciation and feelings of gratitude to the Secretary-General for his tireless and devoted efforts in promoting the objectives of the United Nations and in the cause of peace. He has once again demonstrated his wisdom and his humanity. Our grateful thanks go also to his collaborators, both in New York and in Cyprus. We are indebted to Ambassador Galindo Pohl for the objectivity of his approach, his diplomatic skill and, more particularly, his dedication to the principles of the Charter. 8. I should be remiss if I did not mention General Quinn, who has been devoting so much effort to dealing with this situation. Our.thanks are due also to the officers and men working under him in the interests of peace in Cyprus, at a ,, time when the whole cause of peace is in such danger in that part of the Middle East. Our particular gratitude goes to the Governments which make the United Nations operation in Cyprus possible through their contributions in men and money, thus demonstrating a praiseworthy dedication to the concept of peace-keeping through the United Nations. 9. Perhaps on this occasion I might commend Mr. Gleiasner for his dedicated services, I understand that 1 SW resolution 443 (1978). 11. The Secretary-General’s report indicates that “IJNFICYP continues to use its best efforts to discharge its functions with regard to the security, welfare and well-being of the Greek Cypriots living in the northern part of the island.” [S/12946, para. 10.1 Of course, it is also performing in the same sense in the Government-controlled area with regard to the protection of Turkish Cypriots, and I shall come to that later. The report goes on to say: “UNFICYP access to that area”-the Turkish area, that is, the area occupied by the Turkish army-“remains restricted, but humanitarian work has been carried out on a reasonably satisfactory scale. , . . There has been an increase in the transfer of Greek Cypriots from north to south . . . a total of 150 having moved during the period under review .” [Ibid. J 12. I should like to make it clear that what we have here is the fact that UNFICYP has no freedom of movement and that it cannot carry out its duties, as stated in other parts of the report. We have reports that, although there was some amelioration, there has now been increased harassmentrobberies, killings and threats to life-which is making life for the remaining Greek Cypriots in the north very difficult. That is why mention is made that there has been an increase in the number of those moving to the south. There are concrete cases-very important cases-showing that, when they report their suffering from robberies, threats, the throwing of stones and general harassment to the Turkish police, the victims who complain are arrested and beaten severely, so that, in the end, there can be no complaint. That is the situation in the north. 13. Now, Iet us see what the situation is in the south. In the same report it is stated, with regard to Turkish Cypriots in the south, that “UNFICYP continues to take the responsibility of making periodic visits to some 200 Turkish Cypriots living in the south to assess any assistance they may need and to help maintain some contact with their relatives in the north. To date, these Turkish Cypriots have given UNFICYP to understand that they are satisfied with their living conditions. A check on their dwellings was carried out during the month of September and these were found 15. I shall not go into further details on that score because it is unnecessary. However, what I should like to emphasize in this respect is that the functions of UNFICYP are of course not part of the Charter; they are practised on a pragmatic basis and fall far short of a United Nations force for peace, which is provided for in Chapter VII of the Charter and intended to give validity and effect to the decisions of the Security Council. UNFICYP is doing what it can, but with a mandate so restricted that it cannot help the situation. Hence we have in Cyprus a recurring situation of the presence of the peace-keeping force, whereas what was needed was a United Nations force to put an end to the aggression and the invasion by implementing the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly. And that is a failure not only with regard to Cyprus; it is the main problem of the United Nations. Cyprus happens to be a very obvious example of General Assembly resolutionslike resolution 3212 (XXIX), which was adopted unanimously, with the vote of Turkey and without any abstentions, and endorsed unanimously by the Security Council, and I challenge anyone to. cite another resolution on a particular dispute and not on a global issue which was adopted without a single vote against or a single abstention-that have been ignored, by-passed and trodden upon by the invader, who is proud of it and finding full support in this attitude in a manner that is astonishing and that will be an historically important aspect of the function of the United Nations. 16. That has been recurring for over four years now: repeated resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council are being ignored. Is this a matter of little concern for the Council? It is astonishing if it is, and I should really like note to be taken that, no matter what the afterthoughts of any member of the Council, the fact remains in clear-cut letters that the resolutions of the Assembly and the Council are ignored. 17. The General Assembly at its last three regular sessions has therefore taken particular care to call on the Security Council to implement its resolutions. In 1976 the Assembly began by expressing the hope that the Council would implement its resolutions by the adoption of practical measures; then, in 1977, it went on from hope to make that a recommendation to the Council; and, in 1978, it not only recommended this implementation but added a time-limit for accomplishing it. Hence world public opinion is increasingly concerned not merely with regard to the situation in Cyprus, but with the implementation of Security Council resolutions, because, without such implementation, the authority and the validity of the United Nations are non-existent. 18. in this respect I wish to quote from the Secretary- General’s report on the work of the Organization, in which That is very pertinent to the present case. The Secretary- General went on to say: “For this and other reasons, there are now, as always, conflict situations which Governments do not wish to bring before the United Nations” because there is no effectiveness in the Security Council. “Recent developments in the Horn of Africa and in Zaire are good cases in point. While I do not question the reasons why Governments have not seen fit to bring such problems to the United Nations, I do believe that when problems of such magnitude do not come before the world Organization, and when they cannot be dealt with effectively by the appropriate regional organization, they constitute a potential risk to international peace and security which is of legitimate concern to all Governments.“2 21. We see therefore that, although Turkey is behind the Turkish Cypriots, it does not accept the commitments undertaken by them. Therefore in any future negotiationswhich I should welcome-it must be understood that whatever is agreed on is guaranteed by Turkey, which will not afterwards say yes or no according to its wishes. Of course, as I have said, the involvement of Turkey should have been as a party to the negotiations, since it bears the responsibility. No one else but Turkey-not Turkish Cypriots-can be made responsible for the invasion of Cyprus and for the occupation of the territory by a foreign Power. 19. I dare say that the question of Cyprus has been pre-eminently the problem that has made the impotence of the Security Council apparent to the world. It is obvious blecause it is stated here, and these reports by the Becretary-General never appeared before; they have only appeared in the past three years, in 1975 and 1976, then more in 1977 and more in 1978. I am now arguing the cause not of Cyprus but of the United Nations. When the United Nations was established, its main purpose was the maintenance of international peace and security under the Charter. This appears in Article 1 of the Charter and in the Preamble. Therefore I say that, from this aspect, Cyprus considers that the resolutions should be enforced. 22. These are the fundamental premises on the basis of which the question of Cyprus must be considered, and I should like now to turn briefly to the relevant resolutions. As I have said, pertinent to this case is the original resolution of 4 March 1964. The second resolution is the one that was adopted less than a month ago by the Security Council [resolution 440 (19 78,Jj. Previous to that there was the General Assembly resolution of 9 November 1978 [resolution 33/1S/. We then have the present resolution. As I said before, General Assembly resolution 33115 20. Now I come to another aspect that is rather important with regard to Cyprus. Of course, implementation is not necessarily enforced implementation; there can be volunta.ry implementation, and particularly there can be implementation through negotiations. Negotiations can lead to thle implementation of resolutions, as in the case of an international conference, where the conference deals with a subject and eventually arranges for implementation by agreement. But there must be implementation, and there ca.nnot be a just solution of the problem of Cyprus without regard to the General Assembly and Security Council resolutions. In this respect, it is important to remember that there is complete agreement on all sides, including Turkey and everybody else, all the members of the Security Council and Members of the United Nations, that the “Recommends that the Security Council should examine the question of the implementation, within a time-frame, of its relevant resolutions and consider and adopt thereafter, if necessary, all appropriate and practical measures under the Charter of the United Nations for ensuring the implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations on Cyprus”. Following that came Security Council resolution 440 (1978) which, after taking note of the relevant Gemal Assembly resolutions concerning Cyprus, 2 OftJicial Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-third Session, Supplement No. 1, p. 2. -resolution 365 (1974) endorsed the unanimously adopted resolution 32 12 (XXIX)- “2. Calls upon the parties concerned to comply with and co-operate in the implementation of those resolutions within a specific time-frame; “3. Urges the representatives of the two communities to resume negotiations, under the auspices of the Secretary-General, on an agreed basis, bearing in mind the aforementioned resolutions”. Consequently any negotiations must bear in mind the aforementioned resolutions and should be within that framework, because, unless they are within that framework, they cannot be negotiations for a just and lasting solution of the problem-but will merely complicate the situation, create further trouble and worsen the whole situation in the island and in the region concerned. 23. I have given the facts in this case, and we express the hope that there will be a possibility, through negotiations, of voluntary implementation of the Security Council resolutions. That is the only way to do justice and to provide a lasting solution to the problem of Cyprus, in the interests of peace in the area and in the world.

The next speaker is the representative of Greece, to whom I now give the floor.

Mr. President, it gives me great pleasure to extend to you my warmest and most sincere congratulations on your accession to the Presidency of the Security Council for this month. Your high qualifications, your authority and prestige, as well as your vast experience in United Nations affairs constitute the best guarantee that this debate will be concluded successfully. It is particularly gratifying to my delegation that you represent a country, the Federal Republic of Germany, which is linked with my country by traditional ties of close friendship and culture. Moreover, your country assures for the current period the presidency of the European Community of the Nine, to which Greece hopes to be added as a tenth member in the near future. I would also thank you and the members of the Council for having allowed me to participate in this discussion, 26. The Security Council has, on the proposal of the Secretary-General, .decided to renew the mandate of the United Nations Peace-Keeping Force in Cyprus for a further period of six months. The resolution, to which the Government of Cyprus has agreed, has the support of my Government. 27. In view of the fact that the representative of Cyprus, Mr. Rossides, has already made, on behalf of his Govemmen& pertinent observations on the Secretary-General% 29. I wish also to join in the congratulations just addressed to Mr. Gleissner on the assumption of his new important assignment for his country, Austria. 30. The resolution just adopted once again requests the Secretary-General to continue his mission of good offices, to keep the Security Council informed of the progress made and to submit a report on the implementation of the resolution by 31 May 1979. In this respect I wish to reiterate that the Greek Government will continue, as in the past, to lend its full support to the Secretary-General’s mission of good offices and will give him every assistance in his tireless efforts aimed at the resumption of the intercommunal dialogue on an agreed basis by the two parties concerned. 31. As we all know, the Secretary-General has, with the greatest dedication and perseverance, been trying over the past years to promote a just and peaceful solution of the Cyprus problem. I would, on this occasion, convey my Government’s deep appreciation and sincere thanks to him and to his distinguished collaborators, particularly Under- Secretary-General Brian Urquhart and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Cyprus, Mr. Galindo Pohl. 32. To those thanks I wish to add, since I will be relinquishing my post here very shortly, the expression of my personal gratitude to our esteemed Secretary-General and his distinguished collaborators for the invaluable assistance I received from them in the discharge of my duties as Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations. 33. I would also-and I would be remiss if I did notexpress the same feelings of gratitude and thanks to you, Mr. President, and to the members of the Council for their understanding and sympathetic attitude whenever my delegation had to participate in the Council’s deliberations.

The riext speaker is Mr. Atalay. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. 35. Mr. ATALAY: Mr. President, I would thank you and, through you, all the members of the Council for having given me the opportunity to speak today in order to present to the Council the Turkish Cypriot views on, the current state of the Cyprus problem. I would also express 37. On this occasion, allow me to express our deep apprecia.tion to the Special Representative of the Secretary General in Cyprus, Mr. Galindo Pohl, to the Commander of the Folrce, Major-General James J. Quinn, and to the officers and men of UNFICYP and its civilian staff, as well as to all contributing countries. 38. Last but not least, I would thank the staff of the Secretariat, in particular Mr. Brian Urquhart, Mr. George Sherry, Mr. Gleissner and their assistants for the efficient manner in which they have discharged their difficult responsibilities. 39. I thought that this would merely be a procedural meeting, for the purpose of extending the mandate of UNFICYP. But, unfortunately, my counterpart has again, as usuall during his lifetime at the United Nations, dealt with the substance of the issue and proved once more that there was no need for the previous meetings of the Council. Therefore, with your permission, Mr. President, I feel compelled to respond to him in the same manner and tone. 40. Ftrst, I would refer to the report of the Secretary- Generals before us [S/12946/. 41. During the period under review, the Greek Cypriot side continued to use the usurped title of “the Government of Cyprus” as a tool for economic, social and political aggression against, the Turkish community, including the imprisonment of the captains of the ships which called at the Turkish Cypriot ports. Armed activists for enosis continue to dominate and menace the political atmosphere in the south. The actual and potential danger which they pose to the Turkish Cypriots and to the re-establishment of the legitimate bi-communal Government of Cyprus needs no elaboration. ‘But, unfortunately, there is not even a single reference to these actions in the report. 47. On the question of missing persons, as representatives will recall, the General Assembly, with a view to resolving the question, adopted resolution 321128 on 16 December 1977 envisaging the establishment of an investigatory body with the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross ([CRC) which would be in a position to function impartially, effectively and speedily. At the time of its adoption and on several occasions thereafter, the Turkish Cypriot side, which has been suffering the agony of missing persons since 1963, announced that it supported the provisions of the resolution and was ready and willing to set up immediately the investigatory body with the participation of ICRC, which is the only competent organ having the expertise and the experience in the field. 42. On the other hand, there is a direct reference in paragraph 18 to denying entry to the north “to most privately owned motor vehicles that carry registration plates issued by the Cyprus Government” who wish to go there “for recreational and related purposes”. 43. The fact of the matter is that this has no connexion whatsoever with the duties and functions of UNFICYP. There have been some practical restrictions, for security reasons, for controlling the Greek-rented and Greek-owned privat.e vehicles with Greek Cypriot registration plates. The numbler of these vehicles has increased conspicuously in the north in recent months. Moreover, it was unfortunately discovered that some of these vehicles were being used for the purpose of smuggling. Therefore, the restrictions were applied not to persons at all but to the vehicles. This 44. I ask Council members: Which is more important, to deny everything-including social, economic and political rights-which is vital for the survival of a community, or indirectly to restrict entry, for temporary security reasons, to those who use Greek-owned motor vehicles for recreational purposes in the north? 45. Paragraph 10 of the report states: “UNFICYP access to that area [Karpas] remains restricted, but humanitarian work has been carried out on a reasonably satisfactory scale.” If there have been some restrictions on the movements of UNFICYP, they are due to the absence of an agreement regulating such matters with the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus. It is hoped that those matters, although very limited in nature, will be regularized as soon as possible. 46. In paragraph 37, after it is rather reluctantly conceded that “there appears to be no restriction on freedom of worship in the north wherever the services of a priest are available”, in an effort to balance that, space is allotted to malicious Greek Cypriot propaganda material prepared for the purpose of influenc;ing the report. The truth about the incident presented as the razing of the two churches is the following. Two of the then existing six chapels at Trikomo had to be tom down some eight months ago when they became dangerous owing to the heavy rainfall. The remaining four chapels and two of the churches are still open and are used by the 22 Greek Cypriots in the village. The matter has no connexion whatsoever with freedom of worship. It is rather sad that UNFICYP has thus been used for the propaganda purposes of Greek Cypriots. 48. While the framework provided by resolution 32/128, adopted with the consent of the parties directly concerned, remains intact, the new recourse by the Greek Cypriot Administration to the General Assembly seeking a new resolution on the subject, in complete disregard of agreements previously reached and with the exclusion of ICRC from the investigatory body, is a clear demonstration of the 49. For this reason and upon instructions from my President, Mr. Denktaa, I regretfully informed the Secretary-General that the draft resolution adopted by the Third Committee on 12 December 1978 would in no way be acceptable to us and that the Turkish Cypriot side would not consider itself bound by its provisions [S/12967, annex/. Nevertheless, the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus, motivated by humanitarian concerns, continues to be ready to co-operate in the establishment of the investigatory body, as provided for in resdlution 321128. 50. Before 1 conclude my remarks on this particular issue, I wish to express our deep concern that the Secretary- General has not seen fit to refer to the I977 resolutionwhich is still valid-but has brought in a new element. In paragraph 68 of the report, it is stated that the third member of the Committee “could be jointly appointed by the Secretary-General and the President of ICRC”. I am sorry to point out that there has been no prior agreement on that particular issue, as implied in the report, and, unfortunately, that that assertion influenced the debate in the Third Committee two days ago on the issue of missing persons in Cyprus. 5 1. As recorded in paragraph 67 of the report, absolute peace and tranquillity prevail between the two communities in the island. The relevant passage states: “During the period under review, peace-keeping in Cyprus continued to function well. The situation along the cease-fire lines has remained quiet, owing in great part to the vigilance of the United Nations Force and to the co-operation of the parties.” 52. I have to point out once again that the Turkish Cypriots, who, as recorded in the Secretary-General’s reports, suffered immense hardship from 1963 to July 1974 while defending themselves in all Turkish areas and having to care for nearly 30,000 refugees for 11 years, have felt secure in their own region since July 1974, 53. The points raised and the allegations made by the Greek Cypriot representative in the statement that the Council has just heard are not new. Although all his allegations have been adequately answered in the past, I have to comment on some of the points raised by him. 54, We are blamed again by the Greek Cypriots for prolonging the Cyprus problem and not doing our best to find a just and peaceful solution. We deny that, We sincerely believe that we have done and are doing our best to find a just solution to the problem on a realistic basis. It is our view that it is the negative approach of the Creek side that has caused the situation to drag on. 55. Representatives will appreciate that the resumption of the intercommunal talks needs a calm atmosphere, forbearance and the good intentions of the parties to the 56. Allow me to point out some of the blatant examples of that policy. On 5 October 1977 a Danish captain, Mr. Svinth, was fined 500 Cyprus pounds, on 27 October 1977 an Egyptian captain, Mr. Ayat, master of the Lebanese vessel Omar, was gaoled for one month, and on 4 October 1978 the captain of an Italian vessel, Mr. Antonono, was sentenced to a term of three months’ imprisonment or a fine of 400 Cyprus pounds. Why? For calling at the port of Famagusta in the north. Is that justice? 57. Those are consistent and malicious actions by the Greek Cypriot Administration aimed at disrupting the Turkish Cypriot economy, in line with its over-all policy of isolating the Turkish Cypriot community economically and politically through a vicious international economic bloCkade. I am confident that no Member of the United Nations can accept or tiondone that. 58. it is most discouraging indeed that, despite efforts to create an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of the intercommunal talks and to reconcile the differences between the two communities, the Greek Cypriot leaders have chosen to intensify their vicious economic warfare against the Turkish Cypriot community, and at the same time continue to make statements which express hostility towards my community. Such actions against the Turkish Cypriot community are clearly incompatible with the call in all the United Nations resolutions for an end to unilateral actions by either side. It must be obvious to the Greek Cypriot side that its hostile actions cannot possibly increase trust and confidence between the two communities, which must surely be a fundamental prerequisite for a permanent solution. 59. Furthermore, the daily output of anti-Turkish prop aganda by the Greek press, radio and television, and the provocative statements by the Greek Cypriot leaders have been climaxed by their public speeches. Mr. Spyros Kyprianou, while speaking to the Creek community over the New York radio during his visit to the city in September 1978, declared quite openly: “We [the Greeks] shall continue our long-term struggle until the Greek flag is once again hoisted and flying on the bastions of Famagusta, Kyrenia, Morphou and the Karpas.” 60. This statement clearly and certainly does not augur well for Cyprus. It is incompatible with the United Nations resolutions, as well as with the agreement reached between the two communities for the establishment of a bi-national independent federal republic on a partnership basis. Moreover, it definitely leads one to doubt seriously the good faith and sincerity of the Greek leadership. It is indeed ironic that this statement, which is remarkably similar to statements recefitly made by other Greek Cypriot leaders, including Archbishop Chrisostomos, manifesting intentions of “driving the Turks to the sea”, should have come from the same man *ho, less than two months ago, put on an bow to the Hellemzation of bi-communal Cyprus and for 11 years put up a heroic resistance to prevent this. It was because of that resistance that the bi-communal independence of Cyprus was saved. The Greek coup of 15 July 1974 was a new attempt to usurp complete power in Cyprus. The ultimate aim of the coup was also the annihilation of the anti-enosis Turkish Cypriot elements. Had Turkey not come in to save the situation, Mr. Kyprianou and the rest of the Creek leaders would today have been rejoicing over the realization of their centuries-old dream. “sustained, intensive, good-faith negotiations between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities with a view to reaching a just, lasting and mutually satisfactory settlement” fSJl2715 of 23 May 1978, annex]. He also expressed his readiness to meet Mr. Kyprianou personally “anywhere, any time, and to discuss the problem with him even without any agenda” /ibid./. But the only response of Mr. Kyprianou and of the Creek Cypriot leadership to all these calls have been venomous attacks and malicious propaganda against Turkish Cypriots and Turkey. 62. I should like to comment on the resolution that has just been adopted here. In it there is a reference to the Government of Cyprus, which we do not recognize for reasons which we have explained before the Council. Therefore, the resolution is unacceptable to us as a whole. 67. Even under these circumstances it is my ardent hope that the Creek Cypriots will return to the negotiating table soon and will further refrain from forcing the Turkish Cypriot side to resort to extreme measures.

The next speaker is the representative of Turkey, on whom I now call. 63. However, I should like to put it on record that the Turkish C!ypriot side is giving its consent to the extension of the rnandate of UNFICYP and is ready, as it has always been, to resume the intercommunal talks under the auspices of the Secretary-General on the basis of the Denktag-Makarios guidelines of 12 February 1977 [S/12323 of 30 April 1977, para. S].

Mr. President, I should like to congratulate you warmly upon your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of December and to express to you our deep appreciation for the efficient and tactful manner in which you have conducted the consultations in connexion with the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus. In paying a tribute to your widely appreciated wisdom, eminent diplomatic skills and experience, I should like also to stress the satisfaction we feel in seeing as President of the Council the representative of a country with which Turkey traditionally enjoys cordial and constructive relations in all fields. 64. The Turkish Cypriot side believes that the substance and spirit of the United Nations resolutions calls for the settlements of the Cyprus problem through the intercommunal talks, and we firmly stand by the agreements reached at various stages of these talks. These are the population exchange agreement reached at the third round of talks at Vienna on 2 August 1975 [S/11789, annex], which paved the way for a bi-zonal federal settlement of the Cyprus problem, and the four-point framework agreement reached between President Denktag and the late Archbishop Makarios on 12 February 1977 in the presence of the Secretary-General. This framework envisaged the establishment of an independent, non-aligned, bicommtmal, bi-zonal federal republic. 70. I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate to the Secretary-General that we highly value his tireless ano dedicated efforts to promote the negotiating process within the framework of his mission of good offices. 71. A tribute is also due to the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus, Mr. Galindo Pohl, and to Under- Secretary-General Urquhart and his staff for their devoted efforts in the fulfilment of their functions. 65. I should like to draw the attention of the Council once more to the fact that in view of the present realities in the island the mandate of the United Nations Force in its actual form is no longer realistic and must therefore be changed to conform with the present situation. 72. I should also like to commend the Force Commander, Major-General Quinn, and to renew our gratitude to the officers and men of UNFICYP and its civilian staff. Moreover; I wish to reiterate our appreciation to the countries providing troops and contributing financially @? UNFICYP. 66. In concluding my statement I must emphasize once again that, if there is still no final solution in Cyprus today despite the positive atmosphere prevailing in the island for the resumption of the intercommunal talks and the establishment of permanent peace, the responsibility for this doles not rest with the Turkish Cypriot side. The 73. I should like to explain very briefly the position of my Government on the resolution which the Security Council 74. The resolution contains two operative elements. In paragraph 1, the Council gives UNFICYP a mandate for another period of six months. We concur in that extension, having heard the representative of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus, Mr. Nail Atalay, who informed the Council of his consent in that respect. It should be noted, however, that Mr. Atalay has once again underlined the necessity of reviewing the mandate of the Force as established in 1964 in order to adapt it to the circumstances now prevailing in Cyprus and to the new and reduced dimeniions of the problem. In paragraph 2, the Council requests the Secretary-General to continue his mission of good offices in the intercommunal negotiations, as established by paragraph 6 of its resolution 367 (1975). As has already been stated on numerous occasions, the Turkish Government fully supports the mission of good offices of the Secretary-General. In our view, the intercommunal talks within the framework of the mission of good offices of the Secretary-General constitute the only valid exercise in achieving a just and lasting solution of the Cyprus problem based on the Denktaa-Makarios framework agreement of 12 February 1977. 75. And now just a word with reference to the statementor rather the lecture-by the distinguished and venerable representative ,of the non-government of Cyprus. I should like to say very briefly that in the course of many years we have exchanged ideas across this table with Ambassador Rossides, and 1 now hear he is about to go back home. But I regret to say that he could not restrain himself from firing a Parthian shot on his way out. His statement was, of course, full of the usual misrepresentations and misinterpretations. I shall briefly say that General Assembly resolution 3212 (XXIX), to which he referred and to which we agreed, should be taken as a whole and that in our view the mainstay of that resolution is that negotiations should get under way md that all the other aspects of the problem x$ Cyprus can be taken within the context of those nyotiations. That is where we stand and that is where we 1: o.rt to go.

The delegation of 77. The Security Council recently discussed the Cyprus problem in substance and adopted a resolution expressing itself deeply concerned at the lack of progress in the solution of the Cyprus problem and calling for the implementation of its earlier resolutions on Cyprus. 78. From the very beginning of the outbreak of the crisis in Cyprus the Soviet Union has consistently maintained that the search for ways and means to bring about a settlement should be carried out on the basis of unconditional respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and its policy of non-alignment. This presupposes the withdrawal from the island of foreign troops and the elimination of foreign bases. 79. The Soviet Union believes that, in the present circumstances, it is important to make every effort to restore the spirit of mutual trust and co-operation between the two Cj;@ot communities. The internal affairs of Cyprus should be solved by the Cypriots themselves, taking into account the interests and rights of the Greek and Turkish communities in the island. The Soviet Union opposes any attempts to find ways of settling the Cyprus problem behind the backs of the people of Cyprus in the narrow interests of various countries or military blocs, and we are against the imposing on Cyprus by anyone whatsoever of their own plans and decisions. 80. The Soviet Union is in favour of the immediate implementation in full of United Nations decisions on Cyprus. The settlement of the Cyprus problem on the basis of those decisions would be promoted, we are convinced, by the convening of a representative international conference on Cyprus within the framework of the United Nations. 81 I The delegation of the Soviet Union did not object to the extension of the stationing of the United Nations Force in Cyprus for a further six-month period, taking into account in this connexion the fact that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus had given its consent to such an extension. It is of course understood that the financing of the Force will continue to be carried out on a voluntary basis. 83. I am Ispeaking now because this is probably the last statement Canada will be making in the Council during its current term of office and because, as the representative of a country ,which over the last 14 years and more has had something ‘like 20,000 Canadians stationed in Cyprus, I feel there is something I should say. 84. We wlere pleased to read in the Secretary-General’s clear and comprehensive report that peace-keeping in Cyprus had continued to function well over the last six months and, more particularly, that the situation along the cease-fire lines had remained quiet. 85. But the fact remains that the United Nations forces in Cyprus have been there far too long. They were established in 1964 to facilitate a return to normal conditions and to alleviate the sufferings caused by intercommunal disturbance. They have been there for over 14 years and in that time I must say that there have been very few positive indications that the two communities are moving towards a peaceful, equitable and lasting solution to their problems. 86. It is interesting that, although the intercommunal negotiations have made no recent progress and that it has not been possible, as we have seen the last day or two, to achieve practical agreement on the modalities for an investigative body for the tracing of and accounting for missing persons of both communities, despite the fact that the estabhshment of such a committee was agreed to at a high level a year ago, the two communities have been able to reach one agreement after a year of negotiation: on a sewage system at Nicosia. 92. Also I think that the presence of peace-keeping forces in Cyprus should not give solace to the Turkish aggressors who have decided to land forces in Cyprus and to challenge the territorial integrity and sovereignty of that country. I believe that if this becomes the pattern of international relations and if the international community continues-as the representative of Canada has just said, if I understood him clearly, this is the thirty-fourth time-automatically to approve the extension of the Peace-keeping Force without any commensurate advance or improvement of the atmosphere in Cyprus, as in the other areas I have mentioned, then we shall be failing in our duty in the Council to accept our responsibilities and obligations towards international peace and security. 87. We wonder how long the parties to this dispute can expect the international community to pour money and resources into a situation which they themselves do not seem to be working energetically towards alleviating. I think we are approaching the limit of the patience of the international community in this particular case. I say this because we know that the way is open to the parties to negotiate and reach an agreement. The Secretary-General reports that the parties and he have been given certain specific suggestions which it was hoped would contribute to the prospect of a resumption of the intercommunal negotiating process, My Government has associated itself with those suggestions as a possible basis for a resumption of negotiations on a meaningful and sustained basis, and we urge the parties concerned to seize this opportunity to negotiate in a co-operative atmosphere to reach a solution which will enable Cyprus to enjoy the peace its citizens must surely long for. 93. I would add that between enosis and the Turkish military occupation of part of Cyprus we have come full circle, and it is a lesson which we would do well to learn from this situation in Cyprus. But let us recall that under the great leadership, of the late President Makarios an end was put to the aspirations of the radicals of the Greek community who wanted to integrate Cyprus with Greece. In the same way, he fought hard to protect the Turkish Cypriot community and to ensure that it would no longer be subjected to injustice. But the late President Makarios died without seeing the achievement of his objectives. * 88. I should like to express our appreciation to the Force Commander, to the officers and men of UNFICYP and to

I thank the representative of Canada for his statement and for the kind words addressed to me. I should like to recall on this occasion that it was he who laid the groundwork for the resolution that we adopted here this evening.

We have carefully read the report of the Secretary-General. Nigeria has always supported the extension of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus, as everywhere else. But I cannot fail on this occasion, as in the past, to reiterate that peace-keeping should not become logistic support for military occupation and intervention, 1 have said this again and again, in reference to Korea, in reference to Cyprus and in reference to the Middle East, including, recently, Lebanon. This is not to minimize the efforts being made by the Secretary General but in fact to emphasize that those who have created confusion and problems in Cyprus should begin to yield to the general will of the international community.

I am not going to follow those who have spoken once again on the broader issues. We had ample substantive debate in the Council as recently as last month, and I see nothing useful to be added to that today. 96. My Government is happy to renew this mandate for a further six months. It hopes to maintain the British contingent at approximately its present strength for the next six months, and we shall continue to meet its full cost, as well as the cost of the logistic support we supply to UNFICYP, for we continue to believe that UNFICYP plays an essential part in maintaining peace in Cyprus. We should like to extend our thanks yet again to the officers and men on the ground for their untiring efforts. 97. We believe that the problems are not inherently insoluble, but that their resolution requires a willingness on each side to make concessions and to acknowledge the needs and aspirations of the other. For this reason, my Government continues to urge the parties to adopt a constructive and flexible approach to the resumption of intercommunal negotiations, which we consider to be the most likely vehicle for arriving at the satisfactory outcome for which we all wish.

Last June, a few hours late, we renewed the mandate of the United Nations Force in Cyprus. We stated then that the situation was regrettable and we pointed out the dangers. Today, thanks to the wisdom of the parties and to your ingenuity, Mr. President, we have reached a decision in time and that is a matter for satisfaction. 99. In the report he submitted on 1 December, the Secretary-General stated that the presence of UNFICYP was indispensable, both to maintain calm in Cyprus and to facilitate the search for the peaceful settlement which we all desire. More than ever before, we should take advantage of that decision to seek a negotiated settlement, which will necessarily involve the resumption of intercommunal talks on a basis acceptable to all the parties. The French Government takes this opportunity to voice its confidence once again in the Secretary-General and to pledge him our support at a time when certain positive developments make his mission of good offices more essential than ever before. 100. We are very pleased that no serious incident occurred during the period under consideration and that the ceasetire *has been respected. We hope that the freedom of movement of the Force will be ‘improved, particularly as regards its access to the observation posts. Finally, we hope that the efforts of the Secretary-General to bring about a 102. As it is likely that we are meeting here for the last time this year, I wish to associate myself with the comments that have been made and express my delegation’s gratitude to all our colleagues whose terms of office are ending, The spirit of co-operation and friendship which they have demonstrated at sometimes difficult moments has made the work of the Council easier. I wish them increasing success in their United Nations activities. 103. Mr. President, I shall certainly have other occasions in future to say how much I appreciate the excellent relations of confidence and friendship I have had with you. I would thank you today for that and pay a tribute through you to your great country, which enjoys close and friendly relations with France. 104. In conclusion, I wish to express my best wishes to Mr. Papoulias in connexion with the important mission that has been entrusted to him. Although we are disappointed at losing such a valuable colleague and good friend, we know that the cause of peace and co-operation will find in him a talented advocate and an ally. 105, The PRESIDENT: As there are no further speakers, I shall now make a statement in my capacity as representative of the FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY. ‘106. In concluding this debate in the Council I wish to express my appreciation to the parties concerned, which co-operated with the Council and showed their goodwill and spirit of compromise in order to permit the renewal of UNFICYP’s mandate and the conclusion of our meeting well before the deadline of midnight tomorrow. I also wish to thank all members of the Council for their helpful attitude on this question which allowed us to adopt the resolution unanimously and with a minimum of debate. Such a spirit of co-operation makes it a pleasure to preside over the meetings of the Council. 107. I am aware that this good spirit is due largely to the tireless efforts of my predecessor, the representative of Gabon, who led complicated and protracted negotiations last month in order to reach agreement on another resolution of the Council on Cyprus. I should especially like to thank him for his success. 108. In concluding this last debate on Cyprus in 1978, I think it most appropriate to say a word of farewell to Ambassador Papoulias, who will soon be taking up his new post at Ankara. He has always been helpful in the many discussions of the Council on Cyprus, and he has good judgement of the art of the feasible. And if we were able, for the most part, to avoid acrimony in those debates, it 116. As this year nears its end, our good wishes go to all those officers and men who, in Cyprus and other striferidden areas of the world, are on watch in order to keep the peace. 117. I should also like to add a very special word of thanks to Mr. Heinrich Gleissner, who is leaving us shortly as he has been appointed Ambassador of Austria to one of the permanent members of the Council. I am not quite certain how long the line of Presidents of the Council who relied on his advice really is. One thing is certain: every one of them would have been lost without Heinrich Gleissner’s advice and guidance, and we have the highest regard for his dedication to the Council and the Organization. As he is honoured by the decision of his Government, I think that the whole Security Council may also feel honoured by his new appointment. 110. When we remember the sense of partnership and, in fact, fri’endship which prevails in the Security Council regardless of basic political differences, we certainly withdraw from the Council table with a feeling of considerable regret. We are surely relieved, on the other hand, that we shall not have to bear some of the burdens, such as the late beginning of meetings and that sort of thing, any longer. 111. In assessing the work which has been done during the last two years my delegation may gain some satisfaction at what hais been achieved. But I am bound, on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany, to strike a clear note of disappointment that on one issue-which is not on today’s agenda-we have not achieved what we had hoped to by the end of this year. Even though we shall no longer be a member of the Security Council, my Government will maintain an active interest in bringing about freedom and indepen’dence under internationally recognized conditions for Namibia. 118. I conclude by wishing all of you around this table and your families a peaceful holiday season and a bright and successful new year. 119. I have three requests for the exercise of the right of reply. The first is from the representative of Cyprus, on whom I now call.

It is not my intention to disturb this atmosphere of congratulations, good wishes and good words in exercising the right of reply. I merely wish to say that my entire statement was simply a statement of facts. There was no implication whatever against anyoneeither person or State. But if facts themselves constitute an accusation-and they are true-of course the other side becomes offended. But that is remarkable since in my statement I did not at all mention the Turkish Cypriots, because, surely, they are not responsible for the facts I stated concerning the situation in Cyprus. The non-withdrawal of the Turkish occupation forces, the non-cessation of foreign intervention, the non-return of the refugees to their homes because the occupation army will not allow them, are the responsibility of Turkey. 112. I should now like to resume my functions as PRESIDENT of the Council. 113. On behalf of all members of the Council, I wish to express my own good wishes and those of the Council to those delegations which will be leaving the Council together with my own delegation at the end of the year. I think that everybody around this table will agree when I say that the delegations of Canada, India, Mauritius and Venezuela have, during ithe last two years, made contributions that will long be remembered to the work of the Council and the aims of the Organization. It is thanks not least to the efforts of their Permanent Representatives and their delegations that the spirit of confrontation which in former years could sometimes be noticed in the Council has largely given way to the spirit of co-operation and consensus which has luckily prevailed during the last two years. The Council has thus been able to work towards the fulfilment of its mandate, although a lot still needs to be done. 121. But, instead of the representative of Turkey replying to my statement, it was the Turkish Cypriot who replied. The representative of Turkey simply sits back and whenever he does speak he merely says: “misrepresentations”. But, surely, he cannot deny any of the facts, which he has called misrepresentations. What are these so-called misrepresentations? Do they include the statement that there have been many resolutions of the Security Council calling for the speedy withdrawal without further delay of the foreign occupation forces in Cyprus, namely the forces of Turkey? 114. I wish the remaining members of the Council, as well as those which will join the Council in 1979, courage and wisdom in their work in the future. A well-functioning Security Council is essential for the confidence of world public (opinion in the United Nations. 122. With regard to the way in which the Turkish Cypriot spoke, I should like first of all to say that he did not respect the rules of this body. I did not wish to raise a point of order, so as not to waste time. However, a person who speaks before the Council under rule 39 of the provisional 115. On behalf of all the members of the Council, I wish to express our appreciation and gratitude to the Secretary- General, Mr. Kurt Waldheim. He and his staff have coped brilliantly with the heavy burdens which the Council put on 123. That issue has been raised and a legal opinion was given to the effect that one has no right to use other names. I believe that the United States some years ago raised the question that no Member of the United Nations can sling names it chooses at another Member State while speaking officially in the Security Council. But, a fortiori, a person who comes here under rule 39 merely to give information, who is not the representative of a State, has no right to speak in such an offensive way of Members. I believe that You, Mr. President, or someone else, such as the Secretary- General, should draw the attention of those who come here to speak under rule 39 that they cannot behave in this way. 124. In any case, Mr. Atalay spoke as an individual He can give himself whatever titles he likes, such as the representative of the Federated State of Cyprus-which is non-existent because there would first have to be a federation in Cyprus and there is none, It is patently a false representation. And what is this so-called Federated State of Cyprus? It is the area occupied by Turkey as the result of aggression and invasion by Turkey, It has occupied 40 per cent of the territory of Cyprus presumably to protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriots, while the ‘T&&h Cypriots form only 18 per cent of the population, And this is an area which has 70 per cent of the island!s resources. They now remove those resources, bring populations from Turkey and establish them on the usurped properties of the indigenous Greek Cypriot majority who have been expelled. I call that an international crime: the occupation by force, the expulsion of the indigenous population,. the bringing in of massive population from outside to usurp their houses and their land. The original Turkish Cypriot population today in that area is only 18 per cent. The rest has been brought from elsewhere and has no right to the properties or the land there. They call that international crime the “Turkish Federated State of Cyprus”, and it is really surprising that a Member of the United Nations responsible for that crime presents this situation as the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus. 125, The next question is: can the representative of Turkey speak of the Government of another Member State as a “rron-government”? Those are not facts, but what I said in my statement were facts, and if they were offensive it is because they were facts about crime. But he calls names without constituting facts. 126. In any case, what is important is this: the voice of Mr. Atalay is not that of the Turkish Cypriots. We know very well and we have ample evidence that the Turkish Cypriots are not at all satisfied with the situation in the northern part. The former Turkish Vice-President of Cyprus, Mr, Kiiqiik, said publicly that since the occupation this paradise island had become a “hell”. That was his word. 12’7. So that is the view of the Turkish Cypriots, not the view of the person who comes here as an instrument of the invader, one who does not speak as a Cypriot but, in a case

In the first place I should lie to associate myself whole-heartedly with the congratulations addressed to our colleague, Ambassador Papoulias, who is on his way to Ankara, the capital of my country. We are greatly honoured to have such a distinguished dipIomat and such an able and charming person coming to our country. I know that he will contribute a great deal to the solution not only of the problems that we have between our countries but also of those that concern our two countries. Once again I congratulate Ambassador Papoulias and wish him well during his tour of duty in my country. 129. Having said that, I should like to return to a rather painful episode that took place today in the Council. The representative of Nigeria gave ample proof that he has no comprehension whatsoever of what this issue is all aboutnone at all-and he has no intention of trying to understand it. He referred to aggression on the part of Turkey. He referred to occupation. There is no occupation. There is no aggression. Aggression was committed against the Government of Archbishop Makarios by the Greek junta. We are used to these expressions being used by Mr. Rossides and the Greek Cypriot representatives from time to time for propaganda purposes, but for a representative of a great country like Nigeria to become the tool of that propaganda and to forward the aims of that propaganda is truly regrettable. There is no aggression, there is no occupation in Cyprus. The Turkish forces there are peace-keeping forces. It is significant that between 1964 and 1974 there was no peace in Cyprus, in spite of the presence of UNFICYI’. Since then there has been peace in Cyprus. So I forcefully reject what he said and resent such words being spoken in the Council chamber. 130. Perhaps it would help the representative of Nigeria to understand why I keep referring to the Greek Cypriot Administration as a “non-government”. The Greek Cypriot Administration claims to have legitimacy because of s document: the Constitution of Cyprus. They have torn it to shreds. They have distorted it. Therefore it does not exist anymore. When Cyprus became a fulI Member of the United Nations, with the blessing and the sponsorship of the Turkish Republic, there was a Government of Cyprus. Now what is there in Cyprus? Let me read to you the ‘composition of the Government of Cyprus under article 46 of the so-called and now-defunct Constitution of Cyprus: “The President and the Vice-President of the Republic in order to ensure the executive power shall have s Where are those Turkish Ministers now? What is this Government of Cyprus, this Council of Ministers which is supposed to be composed in accordance with this Constitution? They have been kicked out, under threat to their lives, and this so-called government has usurped power in Cyprus. That is why I refer to it as a “non-government”. We are trying to bring about a legitimate government of Cyprus, through negotiations between the two communities, in a federated State. This was agreed to in the agreement of 12 February 1977 between Archbishop Malcarios and President Denktas, and let us go on in that direction. 131. Regrettably, once again Mr. Rossides referred to the Turkish Cypriot community as being the tools of the Turkish Government. This is absolutely untrue. Mr. Rossides has been away from his country for some time and he probably does not know what is going on there. The poltical situation within the Greek Cypriot community has evolved a great deal. They are tired of the dilatory tactics of their representatives. They are tired of going to international bodies and trying to get resolutions blaming this, condemning that. They want peace in Cyprus. Some of those refugees want to return as soon as possible to their homes., and the behaviour of the leaders of the Greek Cypriot community makes that impossible. 135. These crimes were committed by his country and he tries to blame members of the Security Council, ‘as he blamed the representative of Nigeria for realizing these facts and expressing himself, in a very moderate way, in support of the Charter of the United Nations and of peace in the world, and against aggression. Or does he deny that &his is aggression? He says they went in to carry out peacekeeping operations to protect the Turkish Cypriots. Is it protecting the Turkish Cypriots to bring in massively, from Turkey, 40,000 or 50,000 Turks from the Anatolian part-uncouth, uncivilized-and dump them among the Turkish Cypriots, who are suffering from their criminal activities? Is this a peaceful operation, or is this an operation to change by force the demography of Cyprus and destroy its people, of Greek and Turkish origin alike, in pursuance of the partitionist and annexationist policy of Turkey? Where is the good faith of a CCJ~mt~ that behaves in this way in the Security Council itself, which, denies every true statement and tries to throw blame on those who defend their rights under the Charter? 132. It would help perhaps to reflect this tendency within the Greek Cypriot community if I were to quote from the Greek Cypriot press on the occasion of the celebration on 7 November of the October Revolution at Nicosia, when Mr. Andreas Fantis, the Acting Secretary-General of the Greek Cypriot AKEL Party, the largest political party in the Grleek part of Cyprus, declared: “Not even the United Nations can impose a just and lasting solution acceptable to both sides. The duty to work out such a solution through constructive negotiations is incumbent upon the Turkish and Greek comlmunities. If we wish to arrive at a rapid solution, we must emphatically declare that we are ready to start negotiations within the framework agreement reached between Makarios and Denktag. Within that framework we must ask Mr. Waldheim to undertake more effeclive action within the limits of his powers and duties.” 136. I will not take up any more time since facts speak for themselves. Everyone -whd knows the facts-and nobody can ignore them-ought to be able to judge in the same way as did the representative of Nigeria, to whom I offer our gratitude for speaking the truth and for holding up what is

I do not want to waste any of the Council’s time on polemics. I merely wish to say that members of the Council were probably amused, when the representative of Turkey claimed that Nigeria had becomle a tool of Cyprus. If he had listened carefully, he would know that I said that Nigeria would never support the la&ding of forces in any country to protect another country’s interests and would never support the use of peace-keeping forces as logistic support for such OCCUright.

The next speaker, who also wishes to exercise his right of reply, is the representative of Kuwait, to whom I give the floor.

My delegation hopes that the resolution just adopted will contribute to t!rc prumotion of a just peace in Cyprus. pation. I am happy that that representative has stated tl>at 140. My delegation wishes the representative of Greece the best of luck in his new assignment. His new assignment is a challenge indeed, and we are certain that he will successfully face it. It is also an eloquent testimony of his ability. 141. We shall also miss our friend Mr. Gleissner. We wish him the best of luck in London. 142. The problem with Security Council resolutions is that we sometimes think of them as self-implementing resolutions. They are not. Very few of these resolutions are action-oriented, as in the case of resolutions on sanctions on Southern Rhodesia. But generally these resolutions serve as guidelines which require colossal efforts on the part of certain Member States which have a political leverage with parties involved, in order to work for just solutions of problems based bn the guidelines embodied in the resolution,s of the Council. I should like to emphasize this point and say that we should not treat these resolutions as self-implementing, since it seems that we derive comfort from adopting resolutions without observing the efforts reqi’l ?d for implementing them. 143. Finally, Mr. President, we wish you and all members of the Council, and indeed the members of the Secretariat, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The next speaker, again exercising his right of reply, is the representative of Turkey, to whom I give the floor.

I shall be very brief. I cannot blame Mr. Rossides for pouring out the self-generated venom in his heart on this last occasion. He has addressed a number of questions to me: do 1 deny this or do I deny that? At this late hour my reply will be monosyllabic: yes.

I have been informed that Mr. Atalay wishes to make a further statement. With the concurrence of the Council, I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. 147. Mr. ATALAY: Mr. President, thank you for allowing me to take the floor for a second time. You have heard Mr. Rossides again and again. He added nothing to the wisdom of the members of the Council, nor to the search for a peaceful settlement of the problem of Cyprus. I attribute it to his age and even to his personal ambitions. At a time when he is retiring, I beg him again and again to 14 . . I. “.“l-llll”. . - Litho in United NUions, New York Price: $U.S. 1.00 70005~May 1980--2,200

The representative of Cyprus has asked to exercise his right of reply and I give him the floor.

It is not enough, in replying to the question “Can you deny this fact? ‘0 simply to say “Yes”. One should say, “Yes, I deny it because . . .“. It is very futile and childish just to say “Yes, I deny everything”, without giving any grounds for that denial. 150. Secondly, I do not consider it necessary to reply to what Mr. Atalay has said because, again, the facts are there. If they want amelioration of the situation they surely can obtain it by behaving in a proper way-not as aggressors all the time, every time, every day. Up till now they are expelling people from the north. We received reports today about the sufferings of the remaining Greek Cypriots in the north who have to move away. Those facts are not denied by mere use of words or of names that make no sense. Therefore, I do not think it necessary to make any reply to what has been said here. 15 1. My career has been spent in standing for what is right. They know very well that there is no venom in me. I am simply standing for what is right-and that is the duty of every member of the Security Council and the General Assembly. 1.52. The PRESIDENT: The last speaker is the representative of Greece, who wishes to make a concluding statement, and I call on hi.

I should like to address my profound gratitude to you, Mr. President, to the representative of France, Mr. Jacques Leprette, to the. representative of Turkey, Mr. Eralp, and to the representative of Kuwait, Mr. Bishara. I am very grateful for the very kind words which have been addressed to me. I should like to assure you that I shall do my best to justify the confidence which has just been expressed with regard to my new mission at Ankara.

I thank the representative of Greece for his statement, and I am sure that I speak on behalf of all the members of the Council in wishing him well. 155. The Security Council has thus concluded the present phase of its consideration of the item and may have concluded its business for the month of December and also for the year 1978. So let me repeat what I said earlier by wishing all in this room-not only those around the table-and their families a peaceful holiday season and a very successful and bright New Year. The meeting rose at 7.15 p.m.