France and the Cyprus Issue. From the War of Independence to the Crisis of 1964

English Summary of 'La France et la question chypriote'. Adaptation-summary of article done by Kathy Radford

Abstract

Introduction
This article reviews the content and context of the crucial dialogue on the Cyprus issue which took place in Paris on separate occasions in early July 1964.
De Gaulle met separately with Turkish prime minister lsmet lnonu and the Greek prime minister George Papandreou, respectively. The article draws upon the official verbatim transcript from the Quai d'Orsay only recently released to researchers by the French Foreign Office.
Overview
France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has always been interested in the eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus. Late president Mitterand was keenly aware of the need for peace in this sensitive area of the world. ln 1988, he described Cyprus as a delicate problem which must necessarily be solved without bloodshed. Mitterand's words in a message to visiting Turkish prime minister Ozal could indicate that French policy excluded the sharing of Cyprus. Quite a departure from de Gaulle who tended to deny that Cyprus existed as a state. ln fact, early in the island's war of independence and decolonization, France adopted a guarded, not to say hostile, attitude towards Cyprus.