PPS files, lot 64 D 563, 723 Near and Middle East
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Perkins)
Comments on British Draft Paper1
A. The British paper seems deficient in that it does not provide for any command relationship between Turkey and NATO. It is felt that such a command relationship should be established for the following reasons:
- 1.
- The Turks having gained admission to NATO would naturally expect to be related not only to the Deputies and the Military Committee but also to the Standing Group.
- 2.
- Turkey as part of NATO should be included in military planning and to do this it is important that their military situation be related directly to the Standing Group.
- 3.
- If Turkey is not included in the command set-up but is included in a separate Middle East Command, it would certainly alarm some of the smaller members of NATO as they would believe that NATO obligations are extending over the whole Middle East and therefore make it that much more difficult to persuade them to take Greece and Turkey into NATO.
Therefore, it seems important that provisions should be made for Turkey to participate in the NATO command set-up. There are three possibilities which immediately occur:
- 1.
- Turkey might be part of SACEUR’s command and related to the Southern European Command as is proposed for Greece.
- 2.
- Turkey might be related directly to the Standing Group.
- 3.
- An Eastern Command might be established of which Turkey might be a part and which might include British naval and perhaps US air and which would also report directly to the Standing Group.
There are probably variations of the above or other schemes which might fit the requirements.
B. Paragraph (1): The underlined material should be eliminated.
C. Paragraph (2): The underlined material should be changed to read: “It is not contemplated that U.S. forces would be so available.”
D. Comments on Paragraph (5) being prepared in NEA.2
[Page 562]E. Paragraph (7) is unnecessary, and should be covered by whatever provision is made for relating Turkey directly to the NATO Command.
F. Paragraph (8) ought to be rewritten to include the French Naval Commander in the same category as the U.S. and British Naval Commanders.
G. Comments on Paragraph (9) being prepared in NEA.