Office of the Historian

42. Telegram From Secretary of State Rusk to the Department of State1

The Hague, May 11, 1964, 4 p.m.

Secto 12. For the Acting Secretary. In my talk with Costopoulos this morning2 he said that he planned to make a statement this afternoon on Cyprus which would call for a stronger UN role in keeping the peace in Cyprus. I have not seen an advance copy of his statement but will relay it as soon as one is available. I asked him what President Makarios would think about such a stronger UN role and he replied “it doesn’t matter what President Makarios thinks about it.” There may be many hookers in [Page 89] his statement when actually made but it might provide some leverage for further strengthening of UN Force operations of a sort which would reassure the Turks. I leave it to you to follow up with UN if the Greek statement offers a further handle to take hold of.3

Costopoulos confirmed that Greece considers the Treaty of Guarantee to be still in effect but insisted that Article IV does not authorize unilateral Turkish intervention. He offered to have this point adjudicated. From Turkish point of view I would suppose adjudication would be interpreted as an attempt to throw doubt on Turkish rights during protracted period. On the other hand, it is just possible that some form of general adjudication as to the continuing validity and interpretation of the treaties might provide a means to put certain prestige factors on ice for a period if adjudication were to be applied to issues of interest to both sides. This is a very long shot but I mention it for Department’s consideration.

Reporting officer’s account of my talk with Erkin will be sent separately.4 After that conversation Erkin drew me aside and affirmed Inonu’s interest in talks with Greek Government although there seemed to be a strong implication that such talks would have to be on the basis of recognizing the validity of existing treaties. Erkin then expressed dismay over the prospect of a greatly deteriorating situation in Cyprus at the end of the period of UN responsibility and said that Turkey may be forced to intervene. He asked me whether, in that event, the US will support Turkey. I reminded him that the President had referred to intervention as a “last resort” but that, in any event, a direct answer to his question could only be given by the President. I said that situation would constitute no solution and would be the very catastrophe which all of us should now work to prevent. I added that it might be necessary for the UN forces to remain beyond the period of their initial engagement in order to forestall the deterioration he feared. I did not get the impression that he was warning me of imminent military action by Turkey.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Secret; Priority; Exdis.↩
  2. Telegram 1136, February 2, reported on Cypriot student demonstrations against “NATO intervention” in Cyprus. (Ibid.)↩
  3. In the statement, Costopoulos stressed the desire of the Greek Government to contribute to a solution of the Cyprus problem that would provide “Cypriots of Turkish origin” with every protection of law. He also stated that Greece would support any U.N. body that would provide long-term guarantees of the rights of Turkish Cypriots. The text of Costopoulos’ statement was transmitted in Secto 21, May 12. (Ibid.)↩
  4. Transmitted in Secto 19, May 12. (Ibid.) A memorandum of the conversation regarding Cyprus is ibid., Conference Files: Lot 66 D 110, CF 2397.↩