641.82/2–1550
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Hare)
Subject: Remarks of Turkish Ambassador
| Participants: | Feridun C. Erkin, Ambassador of the Turkish Republic |
| Mr. R. A. Hare—NEA |
In the course of a luncheon at the Turkish Embassy in honor of Russell H. Dorr, Chief, ECA Mission to Turkey, the Turkish Ambassador took occasion to refer to a conversation which he had with Mr. Rusk on December 5,1 in which Mr. Rusk had raised the question of Turkey’s attitude in the event of an attack on Great Britain, in view of the reservation in the Turko-British Treaty2 specifying that Turkey would not be obligated to take action which would involve her [Page 1232] in a war with the Soviet Union. The Ambassador said that he had observed that at the time of the drafting of the treaty with Great Britain, the focus of attention had been on Italy and Germany but that the situation had, of course, changed and with it the attitude of Turkey regarding any reservation in respect of the Soviet Union. He said that he had reported this conversation to his Government and had received a reply endorsing his observations. He asked that note be taken of this in connection with his previous conversation with Mr. Rusk.
The Ambassador also referred to his repeated approaches to the Department regarding the desirability of concluding a regional Near Eastern pact of which Turkey would be a member and which would be supported by the United States. He said he wished to make it clear that what he basically had in mind was the desirability of some form of appropriate assurance to Turkey itself; that was essential. Taking into consideration the American constitutional procedure and recent policy developments, it had seemed that the best way in which such a relationship between Turkey and the United States could be achieved was by the regional pact method. But, if some alternative form of unilateral assurance could be given, it would meet Turkish desires. For instance, such assurance might even be given in the form of a declaration by the President which would specifically place Turkey in the same category as members of the North Atlantic Pact. He then observed that it was not only important that such an assurance should be given Turkey but that it should be timed before the coming Turkish elections in order that it might strengthen the position of the present Peoples’ Party Government. The Ambassador said that he was certain that there was no question but that relations between the United States and Turkey could best be maintained by the present Government headed by President Inönü remaining in power.
The Ambassador also referred in terms of apparent serious concern to what he felt to be an over-emphasis by the United States Government on developments in the Far East. He said it seemed clear to him that Russia’s real objective was Europe and that the Russians were merely playing a clever game of distracting our attention to the Far East while preparing for a kill in Europe. On the other hand, with respect to one European country, Yugoslavia, the Ambassador was critical of the support we were giving that country. He seemed to feel that some form of support was perhaps desirable but that it would be a great mistake to become so deeply involved that disengagement would become difficult or impossible in time of crisis.
- For text of the memorandum of conversation, December 5, 1949, by Deputy Under Secretary of State Dean Rusk, see Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. iv, p. 359.↩
- League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. cc, p. 167; also British Cmd. 6165, Treaty Series No. 4 (1940): Treaty of Mutual Assistance between His Majesty in respect of the United Kingdom, the President of the French Republic and the President of the Turkish Republic (With Special Agreement and Subsidiary Agreements), Angora, October 19, 1939.↩