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

Ankara Embassy Files: Lot 58F33: 400 MDAP July–December 1950

Memorandum of Conversation, by Major General William H. Arnold¹

[Ankara,] 19 August 1950.

Subject: Notes Concerning Conference on Saturday, 19 August 1950, in Office of Prime Minister

Present:	Prime Minister	Adnan Menderes
	Minister of Natl Defense	Samet Ağoğlu2
	Minister of Foreign Affairs	Fuad Köprülü
	Chief of Staff, TGS	General Nuri Yamut
	Deputy C/S, TGS	Lt. Gen. Zekai Okan
	Two Interpreters
	The Ambassador	Hon. Geo. Wadsworth
	Major Gen. H. L. McBride
	Major Gen. W. H. Arnold

1. The Turks stated that it was absolutely impossible to accept 250,000 Bulgar Turks within 90 days.³ They asked if we considered that there was any military significance to this demand made by the Bulgarians. No definitive answer was given.

2. Discussion concerning General McBride’s memorandum⁴ to General Yamut concerning deficiencies in the Turkish Military Establishment and General Yamut’s reply⁵ thereto.

a. Deactivation of extra units.

General Yamut stated that orders have already been issued for some deactivations. I requested that copies of orders be sent to Chief, JAMMAT.

b. Discussion re lack of Chief of Ordnance.

This discussion consumed considerable time but the Turks remained firm in their stand that a new man could not be in place prior to 31 August. General McBride was of the opinion, which was supported by The Ambassador, that there was only one qualified individual (Gen Aknoz)⁶ in the Turkish Army for this position. General Yamut stated that this individual could not be assigned as Chief of Ordnance because of the provision in the Turkish Law which requires troop duty at stated intervals in an officer’s service.

3. The Ambassador brought out the necessity of assuring the U.S. that effective use is being made of MDAP funds and at the same time reinforced General McBride’s comments on the necessity of a proper Chief of Ordnance.

The Ambassador stated that in the normal course of events the Aid Program would have been ended in two to three years but that now a new factor—the world situation—demands forces in being to be put into the best possible shape in the shortest possible time. This conversation tied in with the question of the Chief of Ordnance. The Turks asked what had recently occurred that makes General McBride so adamant. General McBride stated that we are unable to get anything from the present Chief of Ordnance because he will not assume responsibility. General McBride stated that the law must be changed concerning the detail of general officers to troop duty if the Turks are to ever have qualified technical chiefs. General McBride repeatedly stressed the need for continuity. This phase of the conversation was ended by a summation by The Ambassador which seemed to get the meeting back on an amicable basis.

4. General McBride stated that the bridging situation in Turkey is critical. A letter is required from the Turkish Government in order to secure bridges from Italy and now they are frozen. He stated that it would be possible to secure these bridges from Italy through ECA provided the necessary communication was received from the Turkish authorities. General Yamut stated that the letter⁷ to ECA was dispatched last Tuesday, 15 August. This conversation lasted for some length and consisted of the statement that the Turks, through dilatory tactics, had perhaps missed the chance of securing the necessary bridging.

5. The Ambassador made an additional request: that of extending roads of prime military importance by the expenditure of 1,500,000 T.L., and 200,000 T.L. on bridging. The road in question, the Iskenderun-Erzurum Road, could be put into shape in 1950 instead of 1951 as will be the case now. If the Prime Minister will permit 2,000,000 T.L. to be diverted to road construction from counter-part funds, work can be commenced immediately. This was agreed to by the Prime Minister.

6. The Ambassador stated that General McBride had given examples of things that should be done. He mentioned the remark of the Foreign Minister in the press⁸ that Turkey requires more and accelerated aid from the U.S. The Ambassador stated that he was confident that the U.S. would appropriate more money but it was not helpful to public relations to state the need of more aid unless there already exists an agreed-upon program.

He spoke of the Military Airfields Program, and stated that Turkey was to be furnished a squadron of jet fighters in 1951;⁹ that the pilots and specialists would go to the U.S. for advanced training. He made the request that this be kept confidential until the pilots leave for the U.S.

He further discussed the transfer of all pilot training to Adana where they would be able to carry out all-year-round training.

6. [sic] The Ambassador stated that the U.S. would welcome assurance that the Turks will increase their budget for defense from 458,000,000 T.L. to 500,000,000 T.L. The Turks stated that they are now in a position to inform the U.S. of the projects they desire.

7. The Ambassador discussed the defense of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. He stated that the U.S. Government had replied¹⁰ to the Turks’ enquiry as to whether electrical mining of the Bosphorus would be in violation of the Montreux Convention. The United States’ reply was to the effect that it did not consider this to be a violation. The Turks stated, then, that the British had replied to a similar request by stating that such mining would be in violation of the Montreux Convention. The Ambassador is communicating this to Washington.

8. Discussion then centered around turning over defense of the Bosphorus and the Straits to the Navy. This discussion was of some length but I understood General Yamut to state that the Turkish Navy would have the responsibility, including the manning of the guns now in the hands of the Army.

I stated that JAMMAT would immediately proceed to examine the defenses of the Dardanelles and would commence discussions with the Turkish General Staff as soon as possible.

9. The Prime Minister stated that this conference had brought out several worthwhile points and that he desired to have additional conferences in the future. The items to be discussed at the next meeting are:

a. Measures which should be taken in case of an emergency.

b. Measures to be taken to enlarge, expedite and complete present program.

1. This paper, presumably a draft by Maj. Gen. W. H. Arnold, included several handwritten changes and additions, which are incorporated in the text as printed here. General Arnold arrived at Ankara on August 13; he became Chief, Joint Military Mission for Aid to Turkey, upon the departure of Maj. Gen. Horace L. McBride on August 21 for Beirut and the United States.
2. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Ağoğlu served as Acting Minister of National Defense during the absence of Minister of National Defense Refik
3. A note verbale of August 10 by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Turkish Legation in Sofia called for the admission to Turkey within 90 days of approximately 250,000 Bulgarian citizens of Turkish origin who had expressed a desire to migrate from Bulgaria to Turkey (enclosure 1 to despatch 133, September 7, from Ankara, 882.1869/9–750, not printed; text as broadcast by Sofia radio on August 10—enclosure to despatch 113, August 15, from Istanbul, 882.1869/8–1550, not printed).
4. Reference is to the letter of June 30 from Major General McBride to General Yamut (Ankara Embassy Files, Lot 58F33, Box 3299, 400 MDAP January-June 1950, not printed).
5. Reference is to the letter of July 28 (not printed) from General Yamut to Major General McBride, a copy of which was transmitted by Major General McBride to Ambassador Wadsworth on August 10 at the Ambassador’s request (Ankara Embassy Files, Lot 58F33, Box 3299, 400 MDAP, July-December 1950).
6. Maj. Gen. Nurettin Aknoz, Commander, Turkish Fourth Division.
7. The Turkish letter of August 15 to the ECA was not found in Department of State files.
8. Reference is to a statement made by Foreign Minister Köprülü in an interview at Strasbourg (despatch 69, August 10, from Ankara, 782.00/8–1050, not printed).
9. The fiscal year 1950 Military Defense Materiel Program for Turkey included 25 F–84E jet aircraft with delivery scheduled to begin November 15, 1951, but partly dependent on readiness of suitable airdromes, completion of training of pilots and mechanics, and organizational readiness to receive the aircraft (Department’s telegram 71, August 9, to Ankara, 782.5 MAP/8–950, not printed).
10. See the letter of June 5 from Ambassador Wadsworth to Faik Zihni Akdur, Secretary-General of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, p. 1266.