Britain knew UDI declaration was on the way

THE NEWLY-elected government of Margaret Thatcher was aware three years ahead of his doing so that Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash’s would unilaterally declare independence for the breakaway state in the north, it was revealed yesterday.

According to media reports, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) released 30-year-old documents yesterday which revealed that the FCO had been informed since 1980 that Denktash intended to go-ahead with the UDI.

The Turkish Cypriot leader carried out his intentions in 1983, declaring the establishment of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ which to this day is only recognised by Turkey.

According to the declassified documents, the Foreign Office took the decision to act in a decisive way to prevent, if possible, any unilateral action by Denktash, by making clear that Britain would never recognise a breakaway state in the occupied part of Cyprus and by urging other countries not to extend recognition to it.

The FCO adopted this stance based on its obligations under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee to prevent any action which would lead either to the union of Cyprus with any other state or to its partition.

 

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