Office of the Historian

374. Memorandum of Conversation0

Washington, August 2, 1960.

SUBJECT

  • Turkey

PARTICIPANTS

  • Department of State
    • The Secretary
    • The Under Secretary
    • Mr. Ivan B. White, EUR
    • Mr. Gerard Smith, S/P
    • Mr. Philip Farley, S/AE
    • Mr. Robert Bowie, S
    • Mr. Jack Bell, U/NSC
    • Mr. Russell Fessenden, EUR/RA
  • Department of Defense
    • Deputy Secretary of Defense Douglas
    • Assistant Secretary of Defense Irwin (OSD/ISA)
    • General Miller, OSD/ISA
    • Colonel Billingslea, OSD/ISA
  • SHAPE
    • General Norstad, SACEUR
    • Mr. Ray L. Thurston, Political Adviser to SACEUR
  • Joint Chiefs of Staff
    • General Twining, Chairman
  • Atomic Energy Commission
    • Mr. McCone, Chairman

General Norstad said that he had recently paid a one-day visit to Turkey.1 While recognizing that his visit had been a brief one, he had some very definite impressions which he felt it important to pass on. He had managed to meet during his brief visit every member of the Committee of 38, comprised of young colonels and lieutenant colonels. He had found them to be a very bright, loyal and enthusiastic group of young officers. [1 line of source text not declassified]

A major immediate problem facing them is the large group of excess senior officers. These officers are not opposed to the Revolution; the difficulty is simply that they are excess to the real needs of the Turkish Army. Gursel is most desirous of retiring them from the Army and wishes U.S. assistance in this project. General Norstad said that he asked Gursel for a paper setting forth a definite plan for the retirement of the surplus officers. General Norstad emphasized that this plan should not in any way be a “purge” but should be a systematic approach to the problem, providing a fair and equitable program for retiring the officers. It should be presented as a plan for streamlining the Turkish Army.

[Page 867]

General Norstad then made a plea for U.S. assistance to help the Provisional Government implement its plan for retirement. U.S. assistance, which would probably amount to about $10 million, should be of course conditional upon the Provisional Government’s coming up with a fair and equitable plan. Such U.S. assistance at this particular early stage in the life of the Provisional Government is most important. The group of young officers in charge is well disposed toward the U.S.; many of them speak English, having received training in the U.S. They give the impression of wanting and expecting U.S. leadership and assistance, and it is most important to step in at this early stage [1 line of source text not declassified].

It was pointed out to General Norstad that there is a legal bar to using U.S. aid funds for purposes of paying pensions in foreign countries. General Norstad then suggested that our aid be indirect, i.e., that we support some other element in the Turkish budget in order to make available the funds necessary to pay the pensions.

General Norstad also said that, during his recent visit in Ankara, Ambassador Warren had told him that he would be leaving his post about the end of this year. General Norstad expressed the hope that his successor would be young and enthusiastic, able to gain the confidence of the members of the Provisional Government and to inspire them. In reply to a question as to whether our contacts with the new Government should be through civilian or military channels, General Norstad said he felt that they should be through civilian channels.

General Norstad said that the young officers he had talked with were most concerned with the state of Turkey’s finances. They told him that everywhere they turned they discovered new and heavy obligations which the previous Turkish Government had incurred. General Norstad said that he had taken with him to Turkey the present Ministers of Commerce and Finance.2 He had been most favorably impressed with both men and felt that the Provisional Government would make a real effort to put Turkey’s finances in order.

General Norstad also made a passing reference to Sarper, the present Foreign Minister. Sarper is essentially a technician in the present regime. Since General Norstad had known Sarper well in Paris, he had taken the occasion to call upon his wife and daughter in Turkey. He had done this deliberately in order to show the Provisional Government military authorities of his high regard for Sarper.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 782.00/8–260. Secret. Drafted by Fesenden and approved in S and U on August 12.↩
  2. July 25.↩
  3. Ekrem Alican and Cihat Iran, respectively.↩