Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Eastern Europe; Soviet Union; Eastern Mediterranean, Volume VIII

Ankara Embassy Files, lot 57 F 72, “322.2 Straits 1953”

No. 475
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Ambassador in Turkey (McGhee)¹

top secret

Ankara, May 2, 1953.

Participants:

• Prime Minister Menderes
• Ambassador McGhee
• Mr. William Rountree, Counselor of Embassy

I called on the Prime Minister today at my request. There were present, in addition, Mr. Birgi and Mr. Gork.² I was accompanied by Mr. Dayton but that portion of the meeting which he attended is being reported in the immediately following despatch.³ The meeting covered herein lasted a half hour.

1. U.S. Military Requirements in Turkey.

I reminded the Prime Minister of the subject which had been under discussion since February 6, and concerning which we had presented a proposed draft secret agreement, involving U.S. Military Requirements in Turkey. I had carried on discussions on this subject with the Foreign Minister, Mr. Köprülü, with Mr. Zorlu and Mr. Birgi, and a meeting had been held to clarify the purely military aspects between Mr. Rountree and General Shepard on the one hand and General Torugay, representing the Turkish Government, on the other hand. The point had now been reached where some decision was required as to how we would proceed in carrying out the proposed agreement, the principal question being the degree of secrecy which could be preserved and what action, if any, the Turkish Government would have to request of the Grand National Assembly. I pointed out, as I had previously advised the Prime Minister, that it was our desire to keep the fact of the agreement secret. Even though certain actions pursuant to the agreement would become public knowledge, we did not desire the implication to arise that any new element had been injected into our relations with Turkey because of the possible Russian reaction. I asked the Prime Minister what conclusions the Turkish Government had reached in this matter.

The Prime Minister replied that this matter had been considered by the Turkish Government and that a decision had been reached to proceed with the negotiation of this agreement; that arriving at an understanding with the United States Government on our military requirements was as much in the Turkish interests as our own, indeed if we had not proposed it it would have been their duty to propose it. There remained only the question of how to accomplish our objective. Although a final conclusion had not been reached it was the feeling of the Council of Ministers that some type of enabling legislation would be required. If further discussions could be held on the details of the agreement, perhaps the question of form could be worked out. It was necessary to explore a little further precisely what we had in mind. He wished to appoint Mr. Nuri Birgi to continue these discussions.

I asked the Prime Minister whether he had in mind a continuation of discussions on the military aspects, or on the other points contained in the proposed agreement we had submitted. I pointed out that those questions dealing with taxation, for example, had been covered in a separate memorandum which we had tabled for discussion, and that we hoped shortly to table another paper dealing with the status of forces, immunity, etc. Both of these papers would be comprehensive enough to include our relations within the framework of present policies, as well as covering the new proposed United States requirements.

It seemed to me that the principal problem which lay before us is to determine the way in which the agreement as a whole can be carried out. After this has been determined, a great many details would have to be discussed, including those affecting the actual military requirements. Since this appeared to be principally a legal and constitutional problem on the Turkish side, perhaps Mr. Birgi could attempt to draft whatever enabling legislation they felt was required, so that we could ascertain whether it met our requirements for secrecy. I pointed out that the NATO Status of Forces Agreement had now been approved by our Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and would shortly be considered in our Senate where we anticipated favorable action. Once this action is taken the Treaty comes into effect and Turkey can, if it chooses, adhere. If the enabling legislation required to grant our military requirements were submitted in general terms at the same time, it would become related to the SOF Agreement to such an extent that it would not be considered as anything new but arising out of the Status of Forces Agreement itself. I said I would be delighted to discuss this matter with Mr. Birgi in a future meeting, which was set for May 4.⁴

. . . . . . .

1. Enclosure to letter by McGhee to Richards, May 6.
2. A. Haydar Görk, Assistant Secretary General, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3. See the memorandum of conversation, infra.
4. A memorandum of that conversation by McGhee, May 4, dealt with Birgi’s proposal for authorization by the Turkish Grand National Assembly of negotiation of U.S. military requirements in Turkey. (Ankara Embassy files, lot 57 F 72, “322.2 Straits 1953”)