369. Memorandum of Discussion at the 449th Meeting of the National Security Council0
[Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and discussion of unrelated subjects.]
General Cabell said the new military regime in Turkey continued in firm control of the country. However, personality and policy conflicts in the Committee of National Unity constituted a potential threat to the government and to the stability of Turkey. In the middle of June, twelve members of the Committee either withdrew or were dropped1 in a disagreement over taking an oath to return the government to civilian authority as soon as elections can be held. The recent publication of the names of members of the Committee of National Unity was regarded by some members as a breach of faith. The Committee insists that it will hold elections and restore civil government as soon as possible but early 1961 now appears to be the earliest possible date for elections. One difficulty in the Turkish political situation is the fact that the Democratic Party has been discredited. A political balance can only be restored by reviving the prestige of the Democratic Party or by creating a new opposition party. Inonu’s Republican Party is now quite concerned over its [Page 853] relations with the Committee of National Unity since some of the members of the Committee are firmly opposed to Inonu and may not permit his participation in a new civil government. If a proportional representation plan, which has been under consideration, is adopted, the result may be a divided government. The Committee of National Unity has recently appeared to be unsure of itself, uneasy over possible disaffection, and inclined to produce a great deal of publicity designed to make itself acceptable to the people. The Committee is now coming more and more to realize that it will probably have to liquidate the leaders of the deposed government. A struggle for power in the Committee of National Unity, a decision to liquidate the old leaders, or the resurgence of authoritarianism all present dangers to Turkish stability. The present regime is not as enthusiastically pro-Western as was the Menderes regime, although 38 members of the Committee of National Unity have attended Army schools in the U.S. U.S. officials have not been able to establish close relations with the new regime with the result that our sources of information are not as good as they were under Menderes.
Mr. Gray then reminded the Council that the Planning Board was reviewing our 1957 policy toward Turkey (NSC 5708/2)2 at the request of the OCB. Last week the Planning Board discussed the timing of the review and decided to go ahead with it promptly, despite uncertainties in the Turkish situation. Various Planning Board members felt that policy guidance was needed with respect to our interest in Turkish democratic institutions and how we can mesh our activities with the new government’s financial activities, force goals for Turkish armed forces, and economic aid.
[Here follows discussion of unrelated subjects.]
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret; Eyes Only.↩
- Reference is to reports that the CNU had originally comprised 50 members. These reports arose after a May 30 meeting in which Turkey introduced some 20 officers who had planned the coup. Many were not on the list of CNU members issued June 12.↩
- For text of NSC 5708/2, see Foreign Relations, 1955–1957, vol. XXIV, pp. 720–727.↩