681.82/3–1750
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Ben F. Dixon, of the Office of Greek, Turkish and Iranian Affairs
Subject: U.S. Observer Participation in Greek-Turkish Staff Talks.
| Participants: | Vassili G. Dendramis, Ambassador, Greek Embassy |
| John D. Jernegan, Director, Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs | |
| Ben F. Dixon, Greek Affairs |
In the course of a call to the Department principally concerned with other matters, Mr. Jernegan referred to a previous talk Ambassador Dendramis had had with Assistant Secretary McGhee1 concerning the participation of United States observers at the prospective Greek-Turkish staff talks.2 At that time Mr. McGhee had said that we were not inclined to participate in the talks, but, at the Ambassador’s request, had agreed to consider the matter further.
Mr. Jernegan said that we had now discussed this matter with officials in the Department of Defense and had come to the conclusion that while we did not wish in any [way] to discourage these staff talks, the United States would not participate in them.
- George C. McGhee, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs.↩
- It was understood that the Turks had made the holding of Greek-Turkish military staff talks, proposed by the Greeks, conditional upon the presence of an American observer. Such talks, however, did take place at Ankara in December. No evidence of the presence of an American observer at these talks was found in Department of State files. (See telegram 1932, December 15, p. 439.)↩