Office of the Historian

425. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to the Presidentʼs Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1

Washington, December 12, 1969.

SUBJECT

  • Narcotic Imports from Turkey

Pursuant to discussion at our meeting of December 42 on narcotics, I have now thoroughly discussed the Turkish situation with Ambassador Handley, and there is enclosed a proposed plan of action3 prepared by Mr. Harry Schwartz, Chairman of the Working Group.

[Page 1051]

Briefly, I suggest that on his return to Turkey Ambassador Handley make a renewed effort to obtain Demirelʼs agreement to plow under the present crop. To strengthen his hand on this, we have worked out with AID authority for Handley to make a firm offer of a $5 million grant-financed commodity import program to help the Turkish Government pay for plowing under the crop. Ambassador Handleyʼs hand will, of course, be greatly strengthened by his ability to say that the President has personally discussed this matter with him. Additionally, in view of our inability to work out a Washington visit for Demirel until the middle of next year, it would be a dramatic and most forceful back-up to our efforts in Ankara, if the President were to call in the Turkish Ambassador here directly to express to him the Presidentʼs concern over the situation.

If the foregoing course of action is not successful, we should seek to have the Turkish Government agree that all opium poppy crops after the 1970 crops are illegal and have legal purchases by U.S. pharmaceutical firms from the 1970 crops increased to a level sufficient to siphon the entire Turkish crop into legal channels. It is understood from BNDD that our pharmaceutical firms would be willing to do this and that it would not involve any outlay of U.S. Government funds. There is, of course, no guarantee that some Turkish opium would nevertheless find its way into illicit channels; but it is estimated that the amount should be about one-fourth of the previous level.

If neither of the foregoing courses of action are successful, we shall then need to reconsider the whole situation.

In the meantime, we have, through the French Embassy here, requested that the French Government support all efforts that we are making with the Government of Turkey.

Jack Ingersoll, who is in Paris, has not seen the attached. You may wish to get his reaction when he returns on December 15.

UAJ
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1244, Saunders Subject Files, Turkey 1969. Secret. A copy was sent to all members of the Narcotics Task Force.↩
  2. No record of the meeting was found.↩
  3. Attached but not printed.↩