Office of the Historian

227. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State0

Athens, June 15, 1958, 6 p.m.

3536. Re Karamanlis suggestions for Cyprus settlement set forth paragraph 4 Embtel 3534,1 Foreign Minister asked to see me urgently this afternoon to suggest following. He said following conference with Prime Minister GOG would like to suggest that USG put forward possible solutions proposed by Karamanlis, particularly as GOG was prepared to abandon both Enosis and self-determination which would reassure Turks. GOG would like to see this done in NAC meeting tomorrow and if we could see our way clear to do it, Greek representatives would be instructed by telephone to accept. I replied I feared time was rather short for us to give such substantive instructions particularly as other ideas might also emanate from debate. I commented that this was [Page 651] type of proposal that perhaps should be discussed with Spaak in order to sound out reaction of other NATO governments. However, I promised in view importance of Greek suggestions to put it to Department.2

[1 paragraph (4–1/2 lines of source text) not declassified]

Riddleberger
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.11–EI/6–1558. Secret; Niact; Presidential Handling. Received at 2:44 p.m. Repeated to London, Paris for USRO, and Ankara.↩
  2. Document 226.↩
  3. In telegram 3691 to Athens, June 15, the Department of State commented: “We concur with your suggestion that Karamanlis’ proposal might be better discussed with Spaak and we hope he will do so. In informing Karamanlis of this you should express our gratification over the Prime Minister’s efforts to find a means for easing the present crisis.”(Department of State, Central Files, 711.11–EI/6–1558)↩