Office of the Historian

121. Telegram From the Embassy in Turkey to the Department of State1

Ankara, August 11, 1964, 6 p.m.

275. Geneva’s 343 to Department, and last night’s telecon with Under Secretary Ball.2 Saw Erkin this afternoon and discussed Geneva situation and prospects as suggested.

Erkin said GOT definitely wants push ahead with talks and referred to stress on this point in Inonu’s message to Papandreou, which Erkin said he had drafted himself (Embtel 273, repeated Geneva as 109).3

Re suggested treaty, Erkin didn’t seem feel strongly one way or the other, observing that agreement on specifics has priority and inquiring if I had anything new to put forward in that regard. I said I didn’t but stressed fact that Greek reps now showing disposition get down to brass tacks. This did not mean that margin of difference in substance had been decreased; far from it. But it did mean that for first time it may be possible really to come to grips with problem.

Regarding Erim, Erkin said he is now in Istanbul on several days leave as result preoccupation of GOT with Cyprus crisis but he is due back Thursday and should be returning to Geneva shortly thereafter. Erkin said he would certainly do his best go get Erim on his way as soon as possible.

Hare
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Secret; Immediate; Exdis-TAG. Received at 12:23 p.m. and repeated to Athens, London, and Geneva for Acheson. Passed to the White House, DOD, CIA, and USUN.↩
  2. In telegram 343 from Geneva, August 10, Acheson reported on two meetings with Greek representatives in which variants of a Turkish base lease agreement were discussed. (Ibid., POL 27 CYP) Memoranda of the two telephone conversations between Ball and Acheson are in the Johnson Library, Ball Papers, Telephone Conversations, Cyprus.↩
  3. Dated August 11. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 CYP) In his August 11 letter, Inonu wrote Papandreou suggesting they work together to reach a permanent solution to the Cyprus problem. In August 13 reply, Papandreou stated that Greece was ready to assist the U.N. Mediator in finding an agreed solution to a question.↩