371. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Turkey 1
Washington, July 16, 1967, 3:51 p.m.
7611. Ref.: Ankara’s 216.2
- 1.
- We are greatly interested report conversation Turk Ambassador Cairo with El Zyyat. El Zyyat known to Battle and others in Department who consider him reliable, relatively pro-Western. Although somewhat out of power structure in UAR, still possible that he is speaking under instructions.
- 2.
- Suggest Turks be asked inform El Zyyat that there have been conversations with U.S. and that American officials wonder whether alternative one is really excluded. U.S. and West in general interested keeping in contact with UAR in hope relations can be reestablished and improved in future with possibility advantages to UAR which such improvement could entail. Difficult or impossible be specific at present, but door continues to be open to friendship in future.3
Rusk
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 27 ARAB–ISR. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Battle on July 15, cleared by Davies and Berg, and approved by Katzenbach.↩
- Telegram 216 from Ankara, July 14, reported that Foreign Ministry Secretary General Zeki Kuneralp, at the request of Foreign Minister Caglayangil, had informed the Deputy Chief of Mission in Ankara that on July 10 El Zyyat, a high-ranking UAR Foreign Ministry official, had visited the Turkish Ambassador in Cairo and told him Egypt would have to follow the path followed by Turkey under Ataturk: to give up its empire, retire to Turkey’s natural boundaries, and pursue a strong, stable, and dignified national policy. El Zyyat said there were only two ways to do this: one was to be perfectly neutral; the second, and the only feasible course now open to Egypt, was to rely on the Soviets. (Ibid.)↩
- Telegram 290 from Ankara, July 18, reported that the Ambassador saw Kuneralp that day and passed on the substance of telegram 7611 to Ankara. (Ibid., POL 17 US–UAR)↩