STAFF NOTES: WESTERN EUROPE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00865A001800240001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 18, 2005
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 26, 1975
• Content Type: NOTES

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Greek-Turkish Talks on Aegean Off to a
Bad Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
West German Opposition Leader Having Problems
in Soviet Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Madrid Worried Over Getting Out of the Sahara . 4
British Labor Party Conference To Feature
Traditional Left-Right Struggle . . . . . . . 11
September 26, 1975
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Greek-Turkish Talks on Aegean off to Bad Start
The attempt by Athens and Ankara to resolve
their dispute over the Aegean continental shelf
has gotten off to a bad start. Representatives
of the two countries were scheduled to begin dis-
cussions in Paris this week, but the meeting fell
through when the two sides failed to agree on an
agenda and on the press release which was to
announce the session.
Last February, the Turkish caretaker govern-
ment agreed in principle to the Greek proposal to
take the issue to the International Court of
Justice. The Demirel government reaffirmed this,
but the Turks have also given strong indications
they prefer to deal with most aspects of the dispute
in bilateral talks with the Greeks, probably in the
belief that they can get a better deal that way.
The Greeks wanted to deal solely with the terms
of reference for submitting the dispute to the Inter-
national Court. The Turks insisted that the Paris
meeting also study possible ventures for a joint
exploration and development of the continental
shelf. Such an agreement,, in Ankara's view, might
make submission to the Court unnecessary. The Greeks
would agree to consider such a joint venture only
after the dispute is presented to the Court and
tensions over the issue are eased.
The quarrel over the continental shelf began
after the energy crunch in 1973 and the dis-
covery of oil by the Greeks in the northern Aegean.
Turkish interest in the Aegean was rekindled. as a
September 26, 1975
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result. Ankara claimed that much of the Aegean
continental shelf was an extension of the Anatolian
Peninsula, and that the dividing line for purposes
of mineral exploitation should be equidistant between
the Greek and Turkish mainlands. Athens, which has
traditionally considered the Aegean a "Greek lake"
because of the many Greek islands dotting it, argues
that these islands also have a continental shelf.
The dividing line should therefore be equidistant
from the easternmost Greek islands and the Turkish
coastline.
The current effort to follow up on the earlier
agreement in principle also ran up against the prob-
lem that blocked progress in the recent Cyprus and
Aegean air space talks--the senatorial elections to
be held in Turkey on October 12. These have
temporarily hampered the Demirel government's
flexibility in its dealings with Greece. Efforts
to resolve the dispute are expected to resume once
September 26, 1975
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West German Opposition Leader Having Problems
in Soviet Union
Helmut Kohl, chairman and chancellor-candidate
of the West German Christian Democratic Union, has
been deliberately challenged during his visit to
the Soviet Union.
Kohl, who arrived in Moscow September 22, has
cancelled all his appointments scheduled for today
and sought an urgent meeting with his official host,
the premier of the Russian Federated Socialist
Republic, Mikhail Solomentsev. Kohl took this action
after the Soviet party paper, Pravda, strongly
criticized Christian Social Union leader Franz Josef
Strauss. Among other things, Pravda called Strauss,
who recently visited China, "detestable."
Kohl faced a dilemma, for he has not been
attacked, and his visit, according to German
correspondents, was going fairly well. Kohl, how-
ever, needs the support of Strauss and the CSU
if he is to have a chance to become chancellor
next year, and he obviously concluded that he could
not ignore the Soviet attack against Strauss.
West German journalists have speculated that
if Kohl's meeting with Solomentsev does not go well,
Kohl might depart the Soviet Union prematurely. He
has not yet met with Premier Kosygin, who was to
be his principal interlocutor, but Kohl again may
conclude that it is more important to keep his
relations with Strauss on an even keel than it
is to talk with Kosygin.
September 26, 1975
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Madrid Worried Over Getting Out of the Sahara
Spain's repeated expressions of concern about
the prospects for violence in the Spanish Sahara
reflect both Madrid's desire to enlist international
support for a peaceful solution and its fear that
the chances for an armed conflict are increasing.
Spain delivered a policy memorandum to the
US this week which stressed its continuing attempts
to involve the UN in the area. Madrid's own efforts
to negotiate a settlement with the interested
parties--Morocco, Mauritania, and Algeria have
failed thus far. The policy statement reiterated
Spain's determination to withdraw from the territory
and called for a resolution in the UN General Assembly
that would permit Madrid to terminate its role and
transfer sovereignty to officials selected by the
Saharans themselves.
Spain has made it clear it does not want to
remain in the Sahara or fight a colonial war.
Madrid is concerned, however, that even a unilateral
pull out at this point would trigger an armed con-
flict between those countries contesting the area.
Such a development might result in serious casualties
to the Spanish army which would be caught in the
middle.
Morocco, Mauritania, and Algeria have deferred
further action on Spanish Sahara pending the advisory
opinion of the International Court of Justice on
Moroccan-Mauritanian claims to the territory that
is expected in October or November. The Moroccans
are nonetheless concerned that the Court's opinion
may be ambiguous or unfavorable to Rabat.
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The Moroccans are also annoyed by what they
perceive as collusion between Spain and Algeria to
set up a puppet government in the Sahara responsive
to Algerian political interests and Spanish economic
interests. King Hassan, who again vowed last month
to recover Spanish Sahara before the end of the
year, using force if necessary, is keeping his
military option credible by continuing to improve
the capability of military units already stationed
in southern Morocco.
Algeria has not given any further support to
Morocco's Saharan policy since the July 4 joint
communique in which it publicly accepted a Moroccan-
Mauritanian understanding that would partition the
disputed territory. It is continuing to espouse
self-determination for Spanish Sahara and to support
a pro-independence Saharan political group, the
POLISARIO Front. Algiers is clinging to this po-
sition so that if the Moroccan campaign fails, it
will be in a position to support independence for
September 26, 1975
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British Labor Party Conference To Feature
Traditional Left-Right Struggle
The annual Labor Party conference, which
begins Monday in Blackpool, promises'to be
another struggle between the leftwing and
the moderate-to-conservative majority over
the Wilson government's economic, industrial,
and defense policy issues.
Leftist dissatisfaction centers primarily
on how to correct Britain's serious economic
difficulties. The government's first priority
is curbing inflation, while the party's left
wing wants strong reflationary measures to
alleviate the worst unemployment since the
war. Chancellor of the Exchequer Healey has
resisted these demands, as was evident in
the moderate program he announced earlier
this week to combat unemployment.
Energy Minister Benn, one of the most
outspoken left.wing critics, will lead the
faction demanding sweeping reform at the
convention. He recently declared that the
government must use Britain's economic crisis
"as the occasion for fundamental change,
not the excuse for postponing it."
Other Laborites, however, argue that
the deterioration. of the British economy places
limitations on government action. They believe
that the government should concentrate its
limited resources on one or two priority areas,
such as housing and transportation, in order
to obtain a maximum impact.
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Prime Minister Wilson and his supporters
are expected to be able to defeat, or water
down,hostile conference resolutions. Should
the conference pass motions with which Wilson
disagrees, he may disregard them in shaping
government policy. Such a course would increase
the already considerable stress between some
party elements and the government.
The left is likely to increase its repre-
sentation on the party's National Executive
Committee, which it already dominates. Several
moderate incumbents who won by narrow margins
last year face strong challenges. In addition,
the leftists will attempt to force changes in
party organization and procedure to enhance the
policy-making role of the annual conference
at the expense of Labor members of parliament.
These changes will strengthen the left
wing of the party and will make the next
intra-party confrontation much more serious,
particularly if the Wilson government does
not make some progress resolving Britain's
economic problems.
September 26, 1975
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