Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The Near and Middle East, Volume IX, Part 1

780.5/3–1053: Telegram

No. 123
The Ambassador in Iraq (Berry) to the Department of State¹

secret

Baghdad, March 10, 1953—4 p.m.

1107. Turkish Chargé Umar called last evening and informed me of Iraqi MEDO developments since our last conversations. He had again seen Foreign Minister and told him tht Turks in due course expected official response to Chargs proposal. Chargé explained to me that proposal was for all practical purposes an invitation to Iraq to associate in setting up MEDO. Foreign Minister replied that he had studied Chargs proposal; that a sub-commission had been established to examine it in detail; that sub-commission had already finished its work and submitted its report; that this report will go soon to the Council of Ministers with Regent likely participating. When Chargé pressed Foreign Minister for a hint as to line Iraqi Government would take, Minister replied that Iraq Government certainly would not be against proposal but cautioned “don’t hurry us.”

I took occasion to inform Turk of points made in Deptel 890.² I also told him that Foreign Minister in conversations with me recently had told me in general terms of his conversations with Chargé on MEDO, and that on basis of Foreign Minister’s conversations with me I expected to speak tomorrow with British Ambassador upon subject. The Chargé agreed at once saying that this approach covered him and further that if British Ambassador, following my conversations, would take initiative and ask him about his conversations with Foreign Minister he would tell British Ambassador what he had told me of that conversation. Thus I believe we will have re-established in Baghdad the frankness between colleagues which is essential to the success of MEDO.

When I queried Chargé about his statement that Turkey is prepared to offer its territory as headquarters for MEDO he explained that defense of Middle East must be primary interest of the countries of Middle East. Setting up a MEDO headquarters in Cyprus, the territory in Middle East of a Western European power, of which possession is challenged by an Eastern people (Greece), would not give the impression of indigenous authenticity to the MEDO project that is essential to its success. He added that although it has never been suggested that headquarters be in Egypt, such a suggestion would be unacceptable to Turkey for reasons of area prestige as well as for reasons of the effective working of an authentic defense organization of Middle East countries. In his opinion Egypt might, as a part of Suez settlement, wring from British an agreement, if Egypt decided it was in its interest to be associated in MEDO, to have MEDO headquarters located in Egypt for the purpose of giving substance to Egypt’s claim to leadership of Arab world. In such an event he felt Turkey would not agree to the arrangement. In short he said leader of Middle East defense and logically, therefore, the seat of its headquarters, could only be Turkey. When I suggested that many people thought of Turkey more as a European than a Near Eastern state he replied that Turkey is a bridge both approaches to which are of interest to Turk nation.

If Chargé’s thinking is truly representative of his government, this would appear to give substance to several indications that Turkish Government at last has shifted from Kemalist attitude toward Arabs and is now looking to its position of prestige in Middle East world.

Berry

1. Repeated to Ankara as telegram 26 and Cairo as telegram 64.
2. Not printed; telegram 890 to Ankara, Mar. 6, was repeated to Ankara as telegram 1112 on the same date. The Department of State considered Turkish Foreign Office instructions to its ministers in Arab states regarding defense discussions somewhat disturbing, although it believed the Turkish approach to the Arab states might produce beneficial results. The Department expected the United Kingdom to oppose the Turkish approach in substance and also take the position that the Turks were “jumping the gun” as far as timing was concerned. It suggested the Ambassador inform the Turkish Chargé that a fundamental part of present thinking regarding MEDO was that there would not be any discrimination between founders of the organization and participants. It also asked the Ambassador to point out to the Turks that since Egypt had the principal military base in the Middle East, it could not be considered as of secondary importance to Middle Eastern defense. (780.5/2–2753)