747C.00/7–2651
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Berry)
| Participants: | NEA—Mr. Burton Y. Berry |
| Mr. Feridun C. Erkin, Turkish Ambassador |
Ambassador Erkin of Turkey called this morning at his own request on what he described over the telephone as a “confidential matter”. After the usual preliminaries he said that he wished to discuss Cyprus. On June 29 the Messager d’Athenes is reported to have contained a declaration of a U.S. diplomat, in the course of which, the diplomat [Page 535] said that the U.S. agreed with the British to find a solution for the Cyprus question by which the British would administer Cyprus for twenty years and after which Britain and Greece would determine between themselves the future status of Cyprus. The Ambassador asked if I would please look into this report and let him know for the information of his government whether there was any basis for the statements attributed to a U.S. diplomat. He then said that he wished to express his views upon the subject. First, the creation of such a formula in the present state of world tension is a very dangerous action. Second, the Cyprus question is an artificial one as the island currently has a status within the framework of the British common-wealth. Third, the Turkish Government sees no need for a change in the present status of Cyprus but if a change is provoked the Turkish Government wants to be one of the parties that considers any suggested change. Fourth, the attitude of some Greek politicians urging self determination for Cyprus really does not provide a solution as the people of Cyprus called Greeks are not really Greeks but an island people of the Mediterranean who adhere to the Greek orthodox religion. Moreover, should the Greek Government officially sponsor a self determination movement for Cyprus the Greeks would be opening the door to Albania and Yugoslavia to sponsor similar movements to liberate sections of their populations now within the Greek frontiers.
[Here follows a brief discussion of the effects of the French elections on the admission of Greece and Turkey to NATO.]