Office of the Historian

780.5/1–2954

No. 188
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy Director of the Office of the Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs (Baxter)

top secret
Washington, January 29, 1954.

Subject:

  • Turkish–Pakistani Developments.

Participants:

  • His Excellency Cevat Açikalin, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • His Excellency Fatin Rustu Zorlu, Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council
  • His Excellency Feridun C.Erkin, Turkish Ambassador
  • Mr. Orhan Eralp, Director General, Second Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Mr. Henry A. Byroade, Assistant Secretary, NEA
  • Mr. Alex B. Daspit, NEA
  • Mr. William O. Baxter, Deputy Director, GTI

When Secretary General Açikalin and his party paid a courtesy call in the Department this afternoon, Mr. Byroade took the opportunity to bring them up to date on developments with regard to the proposed Turkish–Pakistani conversations which had taken place since they left Ankara ten days ago. All members of the group read with great care the text of the Turkish Aide-Mémoire drafted and delivered to our Embassy in Ankara subsequent to their departure, as well as the Department’s reply commenting on certain points raised in the Turkish note.

Ambassador Açikalin expressed great satisfaction at the measure of agreement between the Turkish and American points of view. He stated his opinion that Indian reaction, though it would of course be sharp and articulate, could be counteracted so that it would not eventually play a decisive part in area relationships. He also voiced the hope that the United States might find it possible to extend some aid to Afghanistan, but did not press this point vehemently after Mr. Byroade explained that it would take a long time to reach any decision on extending aid to Afghanistan and that, even if the decision were affirmative, he could not envisage assistance in an amount that would be considered sufficient by Afghanistan.

Ambassador Açikalin and his colleagues, as they took leave, reiterated their appreciation to Mr. Byroade for the information he had given them and said that they were “overjoyed” at the success of President Bayar’s three-day visit in Washington, particularly the [Page 479] enthusiastic reception given him at this morning’s Joint Session of Congress.1

  1. Documentation on the visit of President Bayar is scheduled for publication in volume VIII.↩