Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XVI, Eastern Europe; Cyprus; Greece; Turkey

390. Telegram From the Embassy in Turkey to the Department of State⁰

Ankara, January 27, 1963, 6 p.m.

845. Embtel 844.¹ As result reftel we are in position of having two replies our proposal substitution Polaris for Jupiter missiles, one official government position conveyed by FonMin and one from MinDef. Both accept our proposal in principle but then raise different specifics in terms of reaching final agreement. Sancar letter gives endorsement our proposal but then makes four conditions first of which namely, delivery of nuclear weapons for F–100 strike squadrons before replacement Jupiters, can prove difficult if Turks really insist. Three numbered conditions are worded in general terms and possibly could be handled by general assurances and explanations. However, since these are termed “initial conditions”, paragraphs one and two may turn out have more concrete meaning as negotiation advances; for instance, mention of “modernization” of Turkish Armed Forces may raise question multi-year MAP with inclusion much-desired items and mention of “legal participation” in point two might, as previously indicated, raise question some form Turkish presence on Polaris force. Reference in last paragraph to “other NATO countries” obviously means Italy and tends to confirm our earlier assumption that fact negotiation not being confined Turkey is helpful factor.

Transmission of letter would seem leave open two courses of action: (1) take governmental reply as given us and act thereon as soon as we have received additional instructions requested Embtel 831² or, (2) having allowed several days for assumed transmission of letter, make reply of composite nature to Erkin, including reaction to points raised by Sancar. My feeling now is we should go ahead on basis (1) above and see what happens leaving open possibility of blending two channels on assumption that Erkin will reflect MinDef points if they become government policy.³

Hare

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 782.56311/1–2763. Secret; Priority; Limited Distribution.
1. Telegram 844, January 28, transmitted the text of Defense Minister Sancar’s reply to the U.S. proposal for Jupiter replacement. (Ibid., 782.56311/1–2863)
2. Dated January 25. (Ibid., 711.5611/1–2563)
3. In telegram 651, January 29, the Department of State instructed the Embassy to proceed with the first alternative outlined here, using the Foreign Ministry as the direct channel for negotiations. (Ibid., 782.56311/1–2763)