Office of the Historian

284. Memorandum of a Conversation, U.S. Embassy Residence, Paris, December 18, 1957, 10:30 a.m.1

USDel/MC/30
Paris, December 18, 1957, 10:30 a.m.

PARTICIPANTS

  • United States
    • The President
    • Mr. Rockwell
  • Turkey
    • Mr. Adnan Menderes, Prime Minister of Turkey
    • Mr. Fatin Zorlu, Foreign Minister of Turkey
    • Mr. Melih Esenbel, Secretary General of the Turkish Foreign Office
[Page 674]

SUBJECT

  • Baghdad Pact

Prime Minister Menderes said that US adherence to the Baghdad Pact would be very helpful. It would increase Middle East strength against Communism and decrease the influence of the neutralist Arabs.

The President said that we have carefully studied the matter of our joining the Baghdad Pact. We are members of the Pact in all but name, and the Secretary himself may go to the forthcoming meeting in Tehran. There is the serious problem of Saudi and Jordanian opposition to the Pact. We have to try to calm their fears. He said that with his colleagues he would make a special review of the matter of US adherence to the Pact.

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Secret. Drafted by Stuart Rockwell of the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Heads of Government meeting, held at Paris, December 16–19. Another copy of this memorandum of conversation is in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 63 D 123, CF 947.

    Documentation on the NATO Heads of Government meeting is printed in vol. IV, pp. 218 ff. For text of the final communiqué, issued on December 19, see Department of State Bulletin, January 6, 1958, pp. 12–15.

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