(2 of 2)
It was finally ended by the British and by negotiators helicoptered in from Nicosia, but nine were dead and six seriously wounded. There were brief ceasefires during the battle as coveys of foreign newsmen and photographers galloped from one side to the other, and back, waving white handkerchiefs. On the sidelines, Turkey still threatened to intervene if the massacre of its compatriots did not cease, and in Ankara, Parliament unanimously gave Premier Ismet Inonu authority to land troops on Cyprus whenever he thought it necessary.
The big trouble facing the U.N. forces in Cyprus is the differing interpretation of their mission. The Turks see the U.N. presence as a means to protect them from the Greeks and to enforce the status quo, including the constitution (in effect abrogated by Makarios) that gives the Turks considerable veto powers over Cypriot affairs. The Greeks, on the other hand, expect the U.N. to cooperate with Makarios in putting down Turkish rebels and "irregulars." What about the Greek irregulars? Theoretically, they no longer exist, since Makarios has incorporated them in his army and police as unpaid volunteers.
London and Washington last week were in what was described as a "state of suspended animation," pending the appointment of a mediator by Secretary-General U Thant. Turkey had turned down Guatemala's José Rolz-Bennett, and now, as one U.S. official put it, "the ball is back in the hands of the Secretary-General." At week's end, U Thant had found no one to whom he could pass the ball—or buck.