Office of the Historian

259. Memorandum of Conversation0

USDel/MC/25
New York, September 19, 1958, 3 p.m.

UNITED STATES DELEGATION TO THE THIRTEENTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

New York, September 14–20, 1958

PARTICIPANTS

  • US
    • The Secretary
    • William M. Rountree
  • Turkey
    • Foreign Minister Zorlu
    • Mr. Kural, Turkish Delegation to the UN

SUBJECT

  • Cyprus

Mr. Zorlu began by thanking the Secretary for the hospitality and cooperation extended to Finance Minister Polatkan during the latter’s visit to Washington.1 He said the GOT was most appreciative of the help which it has received from the US.

Mr. Zorlu mentioned that he had been discussing Cyprus with Mr. Rountree.2 The Secretary expressed the hope that the GOT would find it possible to designate the Turkish Consul General in Nicosia as its representative in connection with the British plan when the latter was implemented. He felt that there was in fact considerable substance to the Greek Government’s concern that implementation of the plan might bring about grave consequences, and thought that brought upon all of us the responsibility to do everything possible to reduce the danger. We should not dismiss as a mere threat the possibility that an apparent defeat of the present Greek Government in connection with Cyprus might bring about a change in the pro-Western orientation of that country.

Mr. Zorlu said that the British plan did not represent a victory for Turks. Indeed, the Turkish Government was making a sacrifice in going [Page 703] along with it. The opposition was strongly criticizing the Government for its weakness in connection with Cyprus. He did not believe the Greeks would continue to reject the plan, but thought they would gradually be brought to cooperate. The Greeks could not leave NATO. They were merely bluffing in threatening to do so. It was necessary to show the Greeks that there was no possibility of gaining added advantages through these tactics. He said that, apart from psychological and political aspects, the Turkish Consul General was not qualified for this type of responsibility. In the first place, he knew no foreign language and in the second place he had no political experience. In any event, however, Mr. Zorlu did not think the position of the Turkish representative should be “diminished” since that aspect was the only advantage to the Turks of the British plan. He said that he had, however, transmitted this suggestion to his Government. He said that frankly he was opposed to it, but that perhaps the Government would feel otherwise.

[Here follows discussion of the Baghdad Pact.]

  1. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted by Rountree on September 23. The meeting was held in Secretary Dulles’ suite at the Waldorf Towers.↩
  2. Polatkan visited Washington September 10–13.↩
  3. Rountree met with Zorlu shortly after Zorlu arrived in New York on the morning of September 19. They discussed the possibility of nominating the Turkish Consul General in Nicosia as the Turk representative to the British Governor. A summary of their discussion was reported in circular telegram 301, September 20. (Department of State, Central Files, 747C.00/9–2058)↩