Secretary’s Letters: Lot 56 D 459: “Defense”
The Acting Secretary of Defense (Foster) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Matthews)
My Dear Mr. Matthews: Reference is made to your letter of 28 August 1951, and to the inclosure thereto, requesting Department of Defense views regarding a proposed six-division increase in the size of the Turkish Army, contingent upon conclusion of a reciprocal security agreement with the United States and upon U.S. supply of the requisite equipment for the proposed increase in the size of the Turkish Army.1
The Department of Defense, after careful consideration of the Turkish proposal from a military standpoint, considers that it would be inadvisable for the United States to accept the Turkish proposal at the present time. Acceptance of the Turkish proposal at this time would necessitate placing Turkish grant military aid requirements in a position of higher priority than that accorded North Atlantic Treaty Organization members, an action which would be inconsistent with current U.S. strategic concepts. In addition, the admittance of Turkey to NATO membership is still subject to ratification by certain NATO governments, after which the establishment of Turkish force requirements can be accomplished under NATO procedures, and the scale of U.S. grant aid support of Turkish forces can be assessed accordingly. Hence it is deemed appropriate for Turkey to make the offer of the proposed increase in the Turkish Army as a contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces, following Turkish admission to membership.
In summary, pending establishment of Turkish force requirements under NATO procedures, or the development of a more critical military situation in the Middle East area, the Department of Defense takes the position that U.S. assistance to the Turkish armed forces should be limited to the support of Turkish armed forces currently in being.
Sincerely yours,
- Neither printed.↩