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  4. Document 179

179. Memorandum of Conversation0

Ankara, January 29, 1958.

US OBSERVER DELEGATION, FOURTH SESSION, MINISTERIAL COUNCIL, BAGHDAD PACT

  • US Participants
    • The Secretary
  • Turkish Participants
    • Prime Minister Menderes

SUBJECT

  • Cyprus Issue

The Prime Minister said that he knew that I was discussing with Mr. Lloyd a possible solution of the Cyprus issue. I said I was not familiar with the details but wished to express three thoughts: (1) I felt that the Cyprus issue should be settled. The times were too difficult and dangerous to permit the growing unrest attendant upon this issue; (2) I thought that Turkey was entitled to strategic security in the sense that it should have dependable and not mere paper guarantees that Cyprus would never fall into hands hostile to Turkey; (3) providing Turkey got assurance on point two, I thought Turkey should be flexible with respect to all other aspects of the settlement.

The Prime Minister thanked me and said that he too thought the problem ought to be solved and he deplored the very heavy responsibilities that rested upon me all around the world and said he would like to lighten them.

John Foster Dulles 1
  1. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted by Dulles. The discussion was held during dinner at the Ankara Palas Hotel.↩
  2. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩