50. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Counselor of the Turkish Embassy (Savut) and the Secretary of State, Department of State, Washington, May 4, 19561
SUBJECT
- Asian-African Conference2
The Secretary began by asking Mr. Savut to tell Ambassador Erkin he was sorry to learn of his transfer to Madrid after seven years of service in Washington. Mrs. Dulles would also regret this news, as she had become very fond of Mrs. Erkin. Mr. Savut hoped the Secretary would understand why his Ambassador had asked to be excused from keeping today’s appointment: he was somewhat upset at instructions just received from Ankara necessitating his almost immediate departure from Washington, whereas he had hoped to remain for at least two months longer.
It was in connection with the Asian-African Conference, the Secretary explained, that he had asked the Ambassador to call. The Secretary said he had followed the developments in Bandung very closely and with the deepest interest. He wanted to express to Mr. Savut, and through him to the Turkish Government, his admiration for the splendid way in which the Turkish delegation, as representatives of the only NATO country present, had upheld the NATO ideals of collective security. According to our reports, the Secretary remarked, the Turkish delegates had exerted a most important and probably a determining influence on the content of the final communiqué, with its references to United Nations principles and communist-style colonialism.
As for the Secretary’s personal views, he thought events would bear out his belief that the conference had played a decisive role at a most critical period in world events. It was very much in the balance as to which direction things might go in Bandung. The conference could take a course which would encourage the Chinese Communists in pursuing their aggressive policies by force; on the other hand, it could show them that, in using force, they would not have the weight of the other Asian countries behind them. It was because of the uncertainty at the time that Assistant Secretary Robertson and Admiral Radford had gone to Formosa, to observe any moves which the Chinese Communists might have decided to take. Fortunately, he [Page 95] believed, the outcome at Bandung had been such as to have a deterrent effect on Chou En-lai, who found he could not count on the unquestioning support of all his Asian neighbors.
In conclusion, the Secretary reiterated his high appraisal of the Turkish contribution in enunciating forcefully and impressing upon other members of the conference the views of the free world.3
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 670.901/5–455. Official Use Only. Drafted by William O. Baxter on May 5.↩
- In a briefing
memorandum to the Secretary, May 3, George V. Allen wrote in part:
“The Turkish Government is to be commended on its performance at the Bandung Conference. It sent an excellent small delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister and NATO Permanent Representative Zorlu.” (Ibid., 670.901/5–355)
↩ - In the course of conversations held with R.S.S. Gunewardene, Ceylonese Ambassador (on May 4), and Hashim Khalil, Iraqi Chargé (on May 5), the Secretary informed each of U.S. approval of the course taken by his government at the Afro-Asian Conference. (Memoranda of conversation by Charles D. Withers, Officer in Charge of India–Nepal–Ceylon Affairs, May 4, and A. David Fritzlan, Officer in Charge of Arabian Peninsula–Iraq Affairs, May 5; both in Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199)↩