Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XVI, Cyprus; Greece; Turkey

287. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State ¹

Athens, May 10, 1967, 1658Z.

5209. NATUS.

1. Col Papadopoulos, member of ruling military triumvirate, repeated to me last night government’s brief public policy statement on Cyprus, i.e. enosis with protection for Turkish Cypriots through peaceful means, specifically through dialogue with GOT. Papadopoulos added that he is firm believer in need for close and harmonious relations between Greece and Turkey and that he hopes these relations can be restored to what they were before crisis over Cyprus. No decision has yet been taken, he said, on date for resumption of dialogue.

2. These comments confirm our impression that new regime leaders have been so engrossed in consolidating their position within army and in familiarizing themselves with numerous domestic problems that they have not yet begun to focus seriously on Cyprus.²

Talbot

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 CYP. Confidential. Received at 2:19 p.m. and repeated to the Secretary of Defense, DIA, JCS, USDOCOSouth, USCINCEUR, Ankara, London, Paris, and Thessaloniki. The meeting described in this telegram was the first between Talbot and Papadopoulos. The Ambassador reported on their discussions relating to the Greek internal situation in telegram 5191 from Athens, May 10. (Ibid., POL 15 GREECE)
2. In telegram 193045 to Athens, May 12, the Department of State noted that the situation in Greece made an initiative on Cyprus premature. (Ibid., POL 27 CYP)