When I asked your permission to raise on the Adjournment the matter of the Irish contingent in Cyprus, in the light of the tense Greek-Turkish situation, I thought it was a matter which fell to be dealt with by the Department of External Affairs. I forgot then that we do not know where the Minister for External Affairs is. He is not here and not in the country as far as we can discover. Where in the name of God is he when his presence here is essential? It is a good guess that he is not in Cyprus. Where is he then?
Therefore, it falls on the Minister for Defence to deal with this. We must leave the location of the furtive ambassador-at-large and rely on the Minister we have here to answer our questions on this matter, about which I and many other people are so worried. The newspapers, radio and television have been reporting the increasingly serious situation which has developed in Cyprus between the Greeks and the Turks. Nobody wants to exaggerate the situation or to cause unnecessary worry—certainly I do not wish to do so—about the Irishmen in Cyprus, but one has to be realistic and try to anticipate events to some extent.
The newspapers today make it clear there is a grave danger of a major war in that area. We hope it does not happen: we hope so most sincerely. Quite apart from the question of our own people being in danger, quite naturally, we wish that there will not be any resort to large-scale armed force between those two conflicting elements, the Greeks and Turks, on this island which has had such a troubled history. However, the fact is that in Cyprus at the moment there are 500 Irishmen, officers and men of the Irish Army.
When we agreed to the despatch of the troops to Cyprus, Dáil Éireann understood that the function of the UN detachments there would be to effect a police action, to continue the conditions of armistice which were arrived at some years ago, to dampen down as far as it was possible to do so, by diplomatic and peaceful means, the fiery feelings which we know only too well can be associated with nationalism, and in general, to try to maintain the peace.
It must be said, of course, that the Irish troops, acting in concert with the troops of other nations under the flag of the UN, have done an admirable job. It can fairly be claimed that they have been responsible, as it were, for keeping the pot from boiling over, at least until now. But during the past week, there has been a grave deterioration of relations between the Greeks and the Turks and this fact has been brought home to us by reports which have been appearing daily. The seriousness of the position has grown daily and this morning the London Times reported that the Greek-Turkish crisis over Cyprus took a sudden turn for the worse last night. It said that the deterioration followed reports that Turkey had set a time limit for positive Greek action on the peace terms set by Turkey last Friday involving the withdrawal of the Greeks to a station in Cyprus.
We are not concerned with the question on which the disagreement is about. That is a question we must look at from a distance and we are not in any position to judge the merits or demerits of the dispute. We are anxious only for a peaceful solution. However, the grave danger is, now at this moment, that there may be a conflict. Everybody hopes there will not be. If that disastrous event occurs, I want to ask the Minister for Defence what will be the position of our men in Cyprus.
It has been the inevitable fate all through history that the peacemaker, in the heel of the hunt, has suffered most of all. To be caught in a situation of this sort, an international situation of so difficult a nature as this, is a most unfortunate circumstance. This is the first time, I think, I have read of actual physical attacks on men of the UN detachment there. It appears the Canadians were attacked last week and beaten up. The British have also been interfered with and the British and Canadians have been in consultation.
What are we doing about our boys there? I spoke yesterday to a soldier —I met him in my constituency—who has been in Cyprus and he said feelingly: "What are you doing about the lads in Cyprus? Are you aware that if anything happens there of a major nature, there is a grave possibility that our men may be in serious trouble." We do not wish to see a repetition of what happened elsewhere, in the Congo, for instance. I do not say this will happen in Cyprus, but we must take steps to see that nothing comparable happens.
When our men were in the Congo, we were told the Minister for External Affairs went there. We were given to understand that he went to see Tshombe. He did not do anything of the kind. Wearing green pants and all, he went to the hospital to shake hands. Leaving that aside, before some of the Deputies came in I was inquiring as to his whereabouts. We do not know. As Minister for External Affairs, he should be here and looking after the interests of these men in the trouble spot I speak of.
