The Cyprus UN Resolution 186 on March 4th, 1964 was a failure

Readers mail….
From Anders Arvidsson….

I was a Swedish UN Soldier who was part of first UNIFICP deployment to GAZIVEREN village.

UNFICYP recently held a commemoration on the date of the signing of the resolution at UNPA in Nicosia. Representatives from all of the 43 countries that have contributed to man the UNFICYP peace force during these 6 decades attended the event. Except for the ambassadors and official delegates also a group of 42 UN veterans from Sweden were invited, of these 17 had actually served in the first troop deployment that arrived in 1964.

Speeches were held, medals and memory coins were handed out, and the fact that the event was more of one of gratitude to those 150.000 or more personnel who during the years had served in the force than a celebration became obvious. Because what is there to celebrate, of a UN mission that though 60 years have passed when the main reason for its existence has not been solved?

UNFICYP hosted peace talks continue,

Since 1968 numerous meetings, overseen by UNFICYP, have been held between the two sides without any result. Blame has been cast on the opponents from both sides. The heads of the UN have one by one in time, tried in vain through suggestion after suggestion to come to an end of discussions with a solution to the problem. So what is it that completely hinders a durable solution, is it maybe the primary resolution itself?

When the then Secretary General of UN, U.Thant, made the proposal that resulted in Resolution 186, he held three meetings with the Greek Cypriots, assisted by the Greek representative to the UN. He did not, however, bother to consult Türkiye or Britain nor even the Turkish Cypriots were given the chance to complete and assist his efforts in finding a solution. So the charter of UNFICYP is founded solely on the information supplied by the Greek Cypriots.

Was Resolution 186 workable?

In eight points U Thant formulates the frame for UNFICYP and the supposed peace mission on the island. But already in point 2, one can doubt the seriousness of the proposal::

2. Asks the Government of Cyprus, which has the responsibility for the maintenance and restoration of law and order to take all additional measures necessary to stop violence and bloodshed in Cyprus.

On March 04 1964 there was no legal Government of Cyprus, according to the Constitution of 1960 which stated there had to be three Turkish Cypriot ministers in the Government. These three, responsible for Health, Agriculture, and Natural Resources and Defence had not been able to attend any meeting because of the hostilities in December 1963 which had been confined to the Greek Cypriot armed units surrounding Turkish Cypriot areas which led to people being unable to get out and fulfill their official duties. The same prevailed for the Turkish Cypriot parliamentarians who were also prevented from participating in their duties.

Without these representatives for the Turkish Cypriot society, the government must be considered invalid, a violation of the constitution. To utterly cement the violation Makarios three weeks later, on March 27th, announced that the three Turkish Cypriot ministers had been replaced by Greek Cypriots. A smooth coup d’état was completed and for the last sixty years, the so-called Republic of Cyprus has been managed by the Greeks.

UNFICYP have tried to impose a flawed peace plan for 6 decades

For six decades the country has been represented by just one of the equal parts that once formed the republic thus effectively stopping the Turkish Cypriot’s voice from being heard by the international society.

Sixty years is far too long, so start listening now!

Thank You head of UNFICYP mission Colin Stewart for holding the event to show respect for all of us who have served during these decades.

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