257. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece1
748. Re Athens Embtel 420;2 Ankara Embtel 341.3 We concur with Athens and Ankara that GOG and GOT should be encouraged negotiate directly. If our advice sought we suggest that quiet Turk-Greek diplomatic negotiations and not Karamanlis–Menderes meeting be encouraged at this time.
FYI. Our present thinking question of high level meeting is colored by fact that in view possible London Conference and imminent Turkish elections quiet diplomatic negotiations between two countries likely at present be more fruitful than meeting at PM level. If such diplomatic negotiations (which could be expected to take up a number of weeks at minimum) were to show an area of common Greek-Turk agreement regarding Cyprus solution then a Karamanlis–Menderes meeting to put finishing touches on such an understanding and commence new era Greek-Turkish relations might well pay off. On other hand if Menderes and Karamanlis face each other without adequate advance preparations and feel constrained take firm public position at this point primarily for domestic reasons, meeting might be seriously counterproductive.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 747C.00/8–657. Secret; Limit Distribution. Also sent to Ankara, repeated to London and Paris, and pouched to Nicosia.↩
- Telegram 420 from Athens, August 6, transmitted the highlights of a meeting between Allen and Averoff that morning. According to the Ambassador, the Greek Foreign Minister noted that Greece was prepared to make a “bold new approach” to the Turks—including the prospect of a trip to Ankara by Karamanlis and Averoff. (Ibid.)↩
- On August 8, the Embassy at Ankara informed the Department that a Karamanlis–Averoff visit to Ankara would have a “salutary” effect even if no substantive progress resulted on the Cyprus problem. (Telegram 341 from Ankara, August 8; ibid., 747C.00/8–857)↩