108. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and Secretary of State Kissinger1

N: Well, Henry, how do you think the briefing went?2 Well?

K: I think it did. I calmed them down. The situation is now the Greeks have accepted our proposal. The Turks have received our [proposal]. We were brutal with them. They are having a meeting.3 They are playing it down, stalling. To get as much established as possible. They will have to decide by midnight this time. The proposals are placed for a ceasefire and the Turks to go into enclaves that they have there and the Turks are gaining a strong bargaining power. Their National Guard has been effectively defeated.

N: Are there many casualties?

K: There hasn’t been much fighting.

N: The Cypriots don’t fight much.

K: The Turks fight well. They are tough. If the Greeks don’t go to war in the a.m., I think we are all right.

N: I would think they won’t in view of what you say they said.

K: They are waiting for the answer and they may get antsy. [1 line not declassified] We are playing the hard line and are in step with all our allies.

N: If the Greeks did go to war, then I would come back to Washington.

K: And we would cut off all aid

N: That would stop the war.

K: They can’t fight long then.

N: That is the lever and we will use it if we have to.

K: I will call you immediately of further developments.

  1. Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 384, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File. No classification marking.
  2. See footnote 3, Document 107.
  3. See Document 104.