287. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State0
276. 1. In talk with Prime Minister Pipinelis today, he said that, although some may think Cyprus situation is relatively quiet, he considers it most serious. In his view, there could be an explosion at any time. Accordingly, he had sent message to Makarios to effect that Greek Govt understood the problems facing Govt of Cyprus and realized that it would be necessary at some time to have some constitutional amendments. The message stated, however, that Greece would not recognize “coup” or unilateral action by Cyprus and that any constitutional changes must be done through agreement of all interested parties. (I asked Pipinelis whether his govt was prepared for a meeting of the guarantor powers. He replied that he could not say definitely but that he personally thought it was the only sensible way.)
2. According to Pipinelis, Makarios replied to his message saying that the Makarios statement about constitutional changes had been “misinterpreted”; all Makarios was doing was to appoint committee to study legal problems, etc. and that he had no intention of any “coup” or unilateral action “at least before next year.” Pipinelis added that, in view of the explosive nature of the Cypriot problem, it was well for the other parties in interest not to assume that the situation was quiescent and that they could safely wait “until next year.”
(Pipinelis made it clear that he was not asking US to do anything but merely wanted to inform me of his personal views.)
3. Pipinelis then discussed matter of Greek-Turkish relations and said he believed that, through quiet step-by-step actions, much could be done to improve those relations. He mentioned that he had been able to work out with Erkin an exchange of letters (“long held up because of a foolish failure to agree on wording”) which enabled work in the Evros River region to go forward. He said that the most difficult outstanding case (other than Cyprus) had to do with the proposed Turkish territorial waters legislation. Here again he stated that he felt progress had been made. Two days ago he had sent to Ankara a proposal for a joint consortium relating to the fishing rights in the waters between the Greek islands and the Turkish coast. In his discussion with Erkin some time ago at the airport here, Erkin had indicated that he considered joint consortium as a desirable approach. According to Pipinelis, Erkin has also [Page 572] agreed to put a provision in the territorial waters legislation postponing six-mile extension of fishing rights for two years. “This would leave plenty of time for Greece and Turkey to work out their mutual problems.”
4. Pipinelis said that through arrangements such as these he hoped it would be possible to establish a new atmosphere of confidence which would tend to make the solution of the crucial Cyprus problem easier.
5. Pipinelis’ optimism re Greek-Turkish relations was reflected several days ago by Turkish charge in call on DCM. charge spoke in similar vein of progress being made on problems raised by territorial waters legislation (which he predicted would be passed in about two months’ time) and commented that Cyprus remains the only problem between Greece and Turkey capable of engendering serious difficulties.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–5 Cyp. Secret. Repeated to Ankara, London, and Nicosia.↩