Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume V

Ankara Embassy Files, Lot 58F33, 400 Naval Visits

The Ambassador in Turkey (Wadsworth) to the Commander in Chief, United States Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (Conolly), at London

confidential

Ankara, 3 May 1950.

Dear Admiral Conolly: Your request¹ concerning the frequency of visits of U.S. Naval units to Turkish ports arrived shortly after a similar question was posed by the Department of State.² I concur that it would be desirable for each of your Sixth Fleet groups to be given the opportunity to visit Turkish ports. From my point of view such direct contact, as these visits afford, furthers the cordial relations now existing between Turkey and the United States.

Accordingly, an informal agreement³ has been reached with the Turkish Government to permit a maximum of three major fleet visits per year to the Turkish ports of either Istanbul or Izmir. This does not modify the present agreement concerning the frequency of informal visits of destroyer and auxiliary types.

I would appreciate it if you would arrange such coordination, as may be necessary, with the British Mediterranean Fleet as to insure no conflict between one of your major visits and visits of their units. The facilities of Turkish ports are limited and the overlap of major visits would seriously tax those facilities. Again, this request does not pertain to any possible overlap of visits of small units.

I too was sorry not to have seen you on my return trip to Turkey. With kindest regards to Mrs. Conolly,

Sincerely,

G. Wadsworth

1. Admiral Conolly’s letter of April 25, 1950 to Ambassador George Wadsworth (Ankara Embassy files, lot 58F33, box 3298, 400 naval visits, not printed).
2. Department’s telegram 171, April 18, to Ankara, not printed (711.5882/4–1050).
3. Agreement was reached by telephone calls between Warwick Perkins, Counselor of Embassy in Turkey, and A. Bülent Uşakligil, Director General, First Department, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, On April 27 and 28 (notations by Warwick Perkins on Ankara Embassy file copy of Department’s telegram 171, April 18, to Ankara; Ankara Embassy files, lot 58F33, box 3298, 400 naval visits). Telegram 208, April 28, from Ankara, not printed, informed the Department of this agreement (711.5882/4–2850).