Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Eastern Europe; Finland; Greece; Turkey, Volume X, Part 2

311. Letter From President Eisenhower to President Bayar⁰

Washington, June 13, 1958.

Dear Mr. President: I have read with great interest and care your letter delivered to me on June third¹ concerning the economic problems of your country.

The desire evinced by you, Mr. President, and your Government to provide your country with a strong and healthy economy that will better the life of the Turkish people and enable them to bear their share of the collective defense effort, has always received a most sympathetic response by the Government and people of the United States. The aid which we have extended and continue to extend to Turkey, our friend and ally, has been given in the spirit of the partnership which characterizes our very close relations.

I have naturally been following with close interest recent developments having a bearing upon these matters. I have been concerned over the fact that, notwithstanding the progressive increase in the amount of aid rendered to Turkey, the economic difficulties have become still more pressing. I believe there is a general recognition now that the answers to these problems do not lie solely in the amount of aid which might be extended by Turkey’s friends, but rather, to a very important degree, in measures of economic stabilization which, I am pleased to learn, are being considered by your Government. The importance of effective measures of this kind is underlined by the fact that it has become more and more clear that your economic problems have acquired such a scope that outside help alone will not be able to cure these problems, however sympathetic we and your other friends may be.

I am, therefore, glad to know that you have enlisted the assistance of the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for European Economic Cooperation, and that the missions representing these organizations are visiting Turkey. The views of these respected international institutions will be of great value, not only directly to your Government, but also to your friends, in considering how, together, we can effectively assist. I sincerely hope that your Government will be able to put before these missions an integrated program to stabilize the Turkish economy so that external resources can be successfully used in support of this objective.

I can assure you that, in the spirit of cooperation which always prevails in our relations, we will be prepared, in collaboration with our other friends and with the international organizations, to do what we can to help Turkey in implementing a specific and effective program to restore the stability and good health of the Turkish economy. Within this context I need not emphasize that my Government will always be happy to discuss this matter with its friend and ally.²

Sincerely,

Dwight D. Eisenhower

0. Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 64 D 149, Bayar. Secret.
1. Document 309.
2. In telegram 3670 to Ankara, June 13, the Department of State instructed Warren to show to Menderes the President’s reply and informed him that Dulles’ reply to Menderes’ letter would be deferred until after OEEC and IMF representatives met with Turkish officials. (Department of State, Central Files, 782.5–MSP/6–1358) Warren reported on Bayar’s response to the Eisenhower letter in telegram 3112 from Ankara, June 17. Bayar assured Warren that the Turkish Government was ready to take whatever steps were necessary to stabilize Turkey’s economy. (Ibid., 782.5–MSP/6–1758)