Office of the Historian

239. Telegram From the Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Regional Organizations to the Department of State0

Paris, June 18, 1958, 6 p.m.

Polto 4240. Reference: Topol 4690.1 Talked with Spaak pursuant instructions reference telegram. He was grateful for information. He said he would get in touch with Melas immediately in effort to avoid deadlock tomorrow on issue of whether discussions should be tripartite or [Page 669] bilateral. He agrees that NAC record to date leaves both possibilities open and thinks, if it becomes necessary, same indefinite situation might be continued through tomorrow’s hoped-for agreement.

When he asked for information we had re Turkish attitude and likely instructions to Sarper, I gave him information contained last paragraph reference telegram.2

He and I agreed that balance may be tipped unfavorably tomorrow if Greeks take position at this stage that they will not sit down and discuss with Turks present, since this attitude likely to provoke Turks to say (say Sarper has flexible instructions) that Greek attitude re negotiations makes it absolutely clear that “partnership” concept impossible and partition necessary.

Nolting
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 747C.00/6–1858. Secret; Niact. Received at 2:22 p.m. Repeated to Athens, Ankara, London, and Nicosia.↩
  2. Topol 4690, June 17, instructed the Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to request that Spaak initiate talks with the Greek Permanent Representative aimed at avoiding a direct confrontation between Greeks and Turks over the issue of bipartite or tripartite negotiations and to convince the Greek Government not to insist on rigid time limits on Cyprus talks. (Ibid., 747C.00/6–1658)↩

  3. This paragraph reads: “For Ankara: Initial Turk response (reftel C) to reftel B, is disturbing in that Menderes and Zorlu appear to be thinking exclusively in terms of tripartite conference. You should also in your discretion continue urge Turks to send affirmative instructions soonest to PermRep, which instructions will we hope not tie him to insistence on tripartite conference.” (Ibid.)

    Reftel C is Document 235. Reftel B is telegram 3722 to Ankara; see footnote 2, Document 231.

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