423. Intelligence Information Cable1
TDCS 314/07360–69
Washington, May 19, 1969.
COUNTRY
Turkey
DOI
16–18 May 1969
SUBJECT
- Turkish Military Plans To Assume Control of Government
ACQ
[1 line not declassified]
SOURCE
[4 lines not declassified]
- 1.
- Following several days of meetings with various political figures and deliberation within the Turkish General Staff (TGS), the military establishment reached a final decision on the night of 16 May concerning the proposed legislation which would restore political rights of Celal Bayar and other discredited politicians and amend the constitution.2 This decision is to assume control of the Government of Turkey if, the Senate passes the legislation at its scheduled meeting on 20 May. President Sunay his been consulted and is a party to this action.
- 2.
- The TGS, under the signature of General Tagmac, has notified all army, corps and division commanders by secret order of the militaryʼs intention. Appropriate air force and naval commands also have been notified. The military would act on the night of 20/21 May, notifying the nation by Turkish Radio probably during a regular newscast, of the militaryʼs action.
- 3.
- In the meantime, the military has let all political leaders, including Prime Minister Demirel, know that it intends to take this action and has been especially active in working on the Senate and individual Senators. TGS already has been given assurances by Republican Peopleʼs Party (RPP) Senator Hifzi Oguz Bekata and RPP Deputy Kenal Satir that the RPP will vote against the bill in the Senate thus denying the 2/3 vote necessary. The military has a number of intelligence officers in civilian clothing hounding Senators of all political persuasions and is predicting that it will be very difficult to raise a quorum in the Senate in the near future. The military believes that the Senate will effectively kill the action and that they will not have to act. If, by chance, the law passes despite everything, the military will act—their warning and preparations are not merely bluff.
- 4.
- ([less than 1 line not declassified] Comment: There is no doubt that the military is greatly agitated by the present situation. Their wrath is directed primarily at RPP President General Ismet Inonu, and amazingly Prime Minister Demirel has not been greatly abused in the proceedings. A military take-over probably would entail only dissolving Parliament, but leaving Sunay in office and permitting Demirel and the cabinet to remain as caretakers until elections can be held. There is no apparent intention to make military control a long-term thing, although any ensuing election campaign probably would be more curtailed and more “dignified.” The military only wants to put across the message that “its” constitution cannot be tampered with.)
- 5.
- ([less than 1 line not declassified] Comment: President Sunay delivered his 19 May holiday message on Turkish Radio and released it in time for publication in morning papers. In his message he noted that “there is no scope for change in the constitution.” There has been some rumor Sunay might use his authority to dissolve Parliament and order elections within 60 days in order to circumvent Senate vote.)
- 6.
- [2½ lines not declassified]
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 632, Country Files—Middle East, Turkey, Vol. I through May 70. Secret; Priority; No Foreign Dissem. Prepared in the CIA and sent to members of the Intelligence Community.↩
- The 1961 constitution banned Beyer and a number of other politicians associated with the suppressed Democratic Party. Legislation to amend the constitution and permit them full citizenship rights had support in both of Turkeyʼs major parties. The Embassy analyzed political alignments within the Turkish Parliament in telegram 3619 from Ankara, May 19. (Ibid., Box 1244, Saunders Subject Files, Turkey 1969)↩