PREMIERS MEET ON BRIDGE; PREMIERS IN CONFERENCE HALL; GUARDS OF HONOUR.




Initials JBC/VS/CCT/JG



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Background: ONLY THE PERSONAL INTERVENTION OF GREEK ARMY STRONGMAN COLONEL PAPADOPOULOS WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAVED THE TWO-DAY SUMMIT BETWEEN THE GREEK AND TURKISH PREMIERS WHICH BEGAN IN KESAN, TURKEY, YESTERDAY. MR SULEYMAN DEMIREL OF TURKEY AND MR CONSTANTINE KOLLIAS ARE MEETING IN AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEIR TWO COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY OVER CYPRUS.

THE TWO MEN MET YESTERDAY ON A BRIDGE SPANNING THE FRONTIER BETWEEN THEIR TWO COUNTRIES, AND RETIRED TO THE SMALL TOWN OF KESAN FOR THEIR TALKS. TODAY THEY MET ON THE GREEK SIDE OF THE BORDER AT ALEXANDROUPOLIS.

THE PROBLEM YESTERDAY IS UNDERSTOOD TO HAVE COME OVER THE CYPRUS SITUATION, WHEN THE GREEK DEPUTATION INSISTED THAT ENOSIS (UNION WITH GREECE) WAS THE ONLY SOLUTION. THE TURKS WERE SAID TO HAVE BEEN ON THE POINT OF WALKING OUT WHEN COLONEL PAPADOPOULOS PREVAILED UPON HIS COLLEAGUES NOT TO PRESS THE ISSUE AT THAT STAGE TO ALLOW THE TALKS TO CONTINUE TODAY.

THE CURRENT SUMMIT IS THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN HEADS OF THE GREEK AND TURKISH GOVERNMENTS FOR SEVEN YEARS OF STRAINED RELATIONS. THE MAJOR QUERY ABOUT THE OUTCOME NOW RESTS WITH THE ATTITUDE OF THE CYPRIOTS THEMSELVES. THE GOVERNMENT THERE HAS NOT MADE AN OFFICIAL COMMENT, BUT GREEK CYPRIOT NEWSPAPERS HAVE EXPRESSED FOREBODING. THEY SAY ANY AGREEMENT ON THE ISLAND MUST BE SUBJECT TO THE CONSENT OF PRESIDENT MAKARIOS AND THE CYPRIOT PEOPLE.