Greco-Turkish Tensions and the Balkans, 1955

NATO extended its membership to Türkiye and Greece on February 18th, 1952. The strategic significance of Türkiye's proximity to the Soviet Union and control over the Bosporus Strait, along with Greece's key location in the southern Balkans, made their membership crucial for NATO's geopolitical objectives. Both nations sought the security umbrella provided by NATO to ensure collective defense against potential external threats and contribute to regional stability. However, the historical national, territorial, and ethnic tensions between Greece and Türkiye complicated their partnership in NATO during the 1950s. 

These animosities, in addition to the unresolved issue of the islands in the Aegean Sea, created a challenging dynamic within the alliance. On October 19th, 1955, External Affairs received several messages concerning Greece’s participation in NATO. The first was provided by J.M. Teakles of the DEA’s Defence Liaison Division, which reiterated a note from Mr. MacDermont concerning the delivery of Canadian jets to Greece. Despite his annoyance that Greece was refusing to participate in NATO exercises, Mr. MacDermont concluded that there could not be a holdup of the F-86 delivery to Greece as he feared this would “add fuel to the flames.” Tensions were already high with discord amongst the communist factions, the death of Prime Minister Papagos, and resentment for NATO’s handling of Turkish riots in Izmir and Istanbul [CDEX00303]. The External Affairs Secretary was also handed a telegram from Ambassador Wilgress with a letter copy intended for NATO Secretary General Lord Ismay from Greek Representative G. Extinaris. Mr. Extinaris acknowledged the “unpleasant consequences'” stemming from Greco-Turkish tensions, resulting in exercise modifications a month earlier which prevented Turkish aircrafts from flying over Greek territory. While affirming that Greece would “remain faithful” to NATO, he concluded with an implicit request for the other NATO members to facilitate peaceful collaboration between Greece and Türkiye moving forward [CDEX00304]. While NATO aimed for collective defense and cooperation against common adversaries, the underlying tensions between Greece and Türkiye occasionally strained diplomatic relations and complicated their collaborative efforts within the alliance.