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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT 344
Pable 456culfit7 of this paper has
It is issued for the personal use of
TOP SECRET
C.P. (51) 130
17TH MAY, 1951
been strictly Page1456 of 587 Sir Norman Brook
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31
CABINET
ADMISSION OF GREECE AND TURKEY TO THE
NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY
Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
On the 15th May the United States Ambassador informed the
Foreign Office that the United States Government favoured the adherence of Greece and Turkey to the`North Atlantic Treaty,
2.
3.
The reasons for this view are set out in the attached Aide Memoire.
The Aide Memoire rehearses the political and military reasons for strengthening defence relationship between Greece and Turkey and the Western Powers and the advantages and disadvantages of doing so by means of
(a) a Mediterranean Treaty, and
(b) full Greek and Turkish membership of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation (N.A.T.O.).
It concludes that the disadvantages of a Mediterranean Treaty outweigh its advantages, and that full Greek and Turkish membership of the North Atlantic Treaty is therefore necessary.
4.
The purpose of this paper is to seek the authority of the Cabinet for our acceptance of the United States proposal.
Background
5.
At its New York meeting in September, 1950, the North Atlantic Council, in response to Turkish pressure, agreed on a compromise which allowed Turkey and Greece "to be associated as appropriate with such phases of military planning work of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as are concerned with the defence of the Mediterranean". Since that time, although Turkish and Greek officers have had meetings with the Standing Group, nothing effective has been done to implement the Council's decision. The Turkish Government and public opinion have been becoming restive at this lack of progress, and have reverted insistently to their desire to be admitted to full membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The Greek Government, though with less insistence, have adopted a similar attitude.