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328 TURBULENCE AND TERROR
the main sigint operators at Ayios Nikolaos, accompanied by
Colonel Ian Cartwright, the commanding officer of the Fusiliers,
walked out from the hase towards the Turkish forces. An hour
later they encountered three squadrons of tanks and some
armoured personnel carriers, which appeared to have stopped
for a 'brew-up'. A happy accommodation was reached after the
British officers explained the demarcation of the boundary.
Magically, the local Turkish commander then appeared and gave
assurances that there would be no further trouble. As dusk
approached, just as the situation appeared to be calming down,
a lone Turkish tank appeared menacingly at a checkpoint at the
entrance to the base. It transpired that its crew 'were totally
lose they had no radio, they had run out of main armament
ammunition, their 0.5 machine gun had jammed and they had
run out of fuel'. Petrol was 'hurriedly produced' and the tank
was sent lumbering back towards Famagusta. 33
By the end of August things were looking up, and a ceasefire
was in place. Turkey had halted its forces, having occupied the
eastern third of the island, and although 'the difficulties ahead
were very great', Aiken noted that the long, slow diplomatic haul
towards peace had started. Ironically, the security of the Sovereign
Base Areas was 'firmer than it has been for some time', and apart
from the ongoing refugee problems the situation was quiet. In
London, intelligence chiefs had worried about Turkish attitudes
towards Britain's secret listening units. But the local information
was reassuring, and Aiken explained that contrary to what he
had been told, 'the longer-term security of the signal unit and
Ayios Nikolaos would seem to be better guaranteed by the close
presence of the Turkish Army than it had been under the Makarios
administration. The Turks understood - and approved! - its function
in the NATO context.'34 In fact, during the crisis Britain had
passed almost no intelligence to NATO, given that 'both contestants
are members'. Sigint personnel now resumed their normal
duties, although NSA decided to abandon Yarallakos and join the
British inside the safer Sovereign Base Areas. 35
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