238. Editorial Note
On March 22, the Department instructed the Embassy at Ankara to raise with the Turkish Government the United States views that all the parties should try to overcome past resentments; that it did not seem possible that the problem could be settled without simultaneous negotiations between the British and the Cypriots and between the concerned governments, possibly within the framework of the NATO conciliation plan; and that the history of the problem indicated that negotiations could not succeed without the objective of reaching some understanding regarding the status of the island. (Telegram 2220 to Ankara, March 20; Department of State, Central Files, 747C.00/3–2257)
On March 25, Ambassador Warren called on Melih Esenbel and reported to him the substance of telegram 2220. Among other things, Esenbel noted that the Turkish Government did not agree to summoning a conference in which the leaders of the various Cypriot communities would participate, that Makarios and other Cypriot leaders should be excluded from the conference, and that the Government of Turkey had accepted Ismay’s proposals in principle. (Telegram 2234 from Ankara, March 28; ibid., 747C.00/3–2857)
On April 4, the Embassy at Ankara transmitted the text of a Turkish aide-mémoire on Cyprus that had been delivered to the Embassy by Esenbel that day. The aide-mémoire indicated that the Turkish Government was in complete agreement with the United States regarding the need to solve the Cyprus dispute in a peaceful manner. It also noted that the Greek Government and Makarios, and [Page 471] the “terrorists” were still working to attain enosis and as long as these attitudes and actions persisted, unilateral acts of good faith would be of no avail. (Telegram 2290 from Ankara, April 4; ibid., 747C.00/4–457)
In telegram 2353 to Ankara the Department transmitted an aide-mémoire in response to the Turkish aide-mémoire of April 4. The Department noted that the Turkish aide-mémoire was still under study and that the United States hoped that all parties agreed on the need to solve the Cyprus dispute in a peaceful manner. (Ibid.)