330/9–250: Circular airgram
The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Missions in the American Republics 1
In connection with preferred US slate of candidates for Security Council (Brazil, subject to LA caucus decision, Turkey and Netherlands), [Page 118] to succeed three retiring members, Cuba, Egypt and Norway, Dept now desires that you make clear to Government to which you are accredited that the United States attaches great importance to the election of Turkey to the Security Council to succeed Egypt, particularly because, in the obviously critical period ahead of the Council, it is important to the free world that the SC’s members include states whose support can be relied upon in crucial cases. The United States therefore hopes strongly that the Government to which you are accredited will support Turkey’s candidacy.
You may wish to point out that support for Turkey’s candidacy is in line with the general UN understanding that one SC seat should be held by a Near or Middle Eastern state, and that the US does not believe that this seat should always go to an Arab state. You may note that since the SC’s organization in 1946, the Arab League has continuously held an SC seat (Egypt, 1946; Syria, 1947–8; Egypt, 1949–50) with the result that no other state from the Near or Middle East has been represented on the Council.
It will be recalled that Turkey was a Security Council candidate in 1948. Because of various special considerations, however, including the Palestine situation, the United States decided to support Egypt, and Turkey subsequently announced its intention to stand for election to the SC in 1950. At that time we definitely gained the impression that the Arab states would not advance their own candidate in 1950.
- Sent for action to all Latin American capitals except Rio de Janeiro. Sent for information to the U. S. Mission at the United Nations (USUN) and to the Embassy in Turkey. The Department reiterated its support of Turkey and stated certain reasons for not favoring the Lebanese candidacy, in another circular telegram to the same capitals on September 14 (330/9–1450).↩