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9RO<HDUSS
TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY BETWEEN 1960-1971:
NEO-KEMALISM VS. NEO-DEMOCRATS?
Sedat LAÇøNER
‘I hope you will understand that your NATO allies have not had a chance
to consider whether they have an obligation to protect Turkey against the
Soviet Union if Turkey takes a step which results in Soviet intervention
without the full consent and understanding of its NATO allies.’1
Lyndon B. Johnson, US President, 1964
‘Atatürk taught us realism and rationalism. He was not an ideologue.’2
Süleyman Demirel, Turkish Prime Minister
Abstract
In the post-coup years two main factors; the détente process, and as a
result of the détente significant change in the United States’ policies
towards Turkey, started a chain-reaction process in Turkish foreign policy.
During the 1960s several factors forced Turkish policy makers towards a
new foreign policy.
On the one hand, the Western attitude undermined the Kemalist and
other Westernist schools and caused an ideological transformation in
Turkish foreign policy. On the other hand, the military coup and
disintegration process that it triggered also played very important role in
the foreign policy transformation process. Indeed, by undermining
Westernism in Turkey, the West caused an ideological crisis in Kemalism
and other foreign policy schools. The 1960s also witnessed the start of the
disintegration process in Turkish politics that provided a suitable
environment for the resurgence of the Ottoman schools of thought, such as
Islamism and Turkism.
1
2
The Middle East Journal, Vol. 20, No. 3, Summer 1966, p. 387.
øhsan Sabri Ça÷layangil, Anılarım, (My Memoirs), (østanbul: Güneú, 1990), p. 125.
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Finally, with the 1961 Constitution’s pluralistic approach, Turkey
witnessed a divergence of political and social ideas. All these
developments forced the governments to reshape its foreign policy.
Keywords: Cyprus Problem, Democrat Party, Justice Party, NeoKemalism, Turkish Foreign Policy.
INTRODUCTION
As the first organized and successful challengers to Kemalism, the
Democrats undermined Kemalist policies. The DP reshaped Turkish
foreign, economic and domestic policies. The DP not only challenged
Kemalism, but also the privileged Kemalist ‘class’, namely the
bureaucracy, the army and the Kemalist elite. When they lost their
economic
and
political
privileges, the military initiated
a coup to stop the Democrats’
reforms. Hence, the 27 May
Coup can be viewed as a
‘revenge of the establishment’.
After the coup, the military and
military-supported governments
tried to change DP policies and
return to early Republican
foreign and domestic policies.
As has been seen, the domestic
and foreign policies were not
clearly distinguished and as a
result of this, Turkish foreign
policy was merely a branch of
Turkish domestic politics. In the
post-coup era, however, almost
all political groups focused on
foreign policy issues and made
an effort to set up an ideological foreign policy framework. These efforts
and international developments caused great change in Turkish foreign
policy. This study will therefore explore the causes of this transformation.
Moreover, in this period, Turkey saw the rise of a neo-Kemalist foreign
policy approach, the Kemalist left. Although they used ‘Kemalism’ as a
name, as will be seen, their foreign policy understanding was very different
from Atatürk’s foreign policy understanding. In this framework, the
chapter also examines the roots of this school and aims to explain the
ideological ground of the leftist-Kemalist foreign policy approach.
Furthermore, there is no doubt that one of the most important events,
which left traumatic marks on Turkish policy makers, is the Cyprus Crisis.
The Cyprus Crisis changed almost everything in Turkish foreign policy.
The Western attitude in the Crisis can be considered the greatest challenge
to the Kemalist and liberal-conservative Westernism in Turkey. Turkey’s
loneliness during the crisis created a great shock and caused a radical shift
in Kemalist and conservative-liberal foreign policy understanding. Also,
the Cyprus Crisis provided a good example to test the success of ideology
in Turkish foreign policy.
Finally, we will focus on Süleyman Demirel’s Justice Party’s foreign
policy understanding and its implementation. In a period that witnessed the
resurgence of Kemalism, the neo-Democratic Justice Party tried to
establish a more balanced foreign policy and made efforts not to make the
same mistakes of the DP.
THE ARMY: KEMALIST REVENGE?
Democrats vs. the Army
The Army, which was the most respected and most powerful institution
in Turkey, saw itself as the guardian of Kemalism and the state.3 In this
context, the Democrats, aware of the importance of the army in Turkish
politics, gave priority to the military needs at the cost of economic
development.4 However, with the establishment of multiparty rule, the
army inevitably lost its privileged position; hence it found itself in an
identity crisis. Moreover, the Democrats’ anti-etatist policies relatively
diminished the financial power of the military compared with the business
and agricultural classes. In particular, the high inflation undermined the
economic power of military officers. Also, they no longer enjoyed their
previous level of direct representation in political power. The percentage
of deputies from a military origin fell sharply after the 1950 elections and
the same held true for the executive body where five of the six ministers of
National Defence during the Menderes period were civilians, although 11
of the predecessors of the ønönü period had a military background. As a
result, and as Vaner put it, ‘the change in ruling elites, which derived from
important social transformations and reflected a shift in political structures,
was perceived by the army as the degradation of its own institutional
3
4
Richard D. Robinson, The First Turkish Republic, A Case Study in National
Development, (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1963), p. 88; Also see
Daniel Lerner and Richard D. Robinson, ‘Swords and Ploughshares: The Turkish
Army as a Modernizing Force’, World Politics, October 1960, pp. 19-44.
William Hale (Trn. Ahmet Fethi), Türkiye’de Ordu ve Siyaset, 1789’dan Günümüze,
(The Army and the Politics in Turkey, Since 1789), (østanbul: Hil Yayın, 1996), p. 94
and Morris Singer, The Economic Advance of Turkey, 1838-1960, (Ankara: Turkish
Economic Society, 1977), p. 415.
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prestige and a challenge to its image within society.’5 After the 1954
elections, the relations between the civilians and the army worsened as for
the first time in centuries, the army was now under civilian authority.
Under these circumstances, most of the army officers declared that they
were Kemalist soldiers and that DP policies had damaged Kemalism. They
saw no alternative but a military coup—called ‘revolution’ (devrim) by the
Kemalist elite. For instance, the first report of the Constitution
Commission, established by the coup, stated that the Menderes government
was ‘antagonistic to the army, courts, university and Atatürk’s reforms.’6
For the army, the ‘revolution’ marked the beginning of the process of its
affirmation in the political arena7 in order to protect Kemalism.8 Under the
coup administration, Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, Foreign Minister
Fatin Rüútü Zorlu and Finance Minister Hasan Polatkan, were executed by
a military court on 16-17 September 1961 and 12 more politicians were
also sentenced to death. The party was closed down and 200 people,
including many deputies, were given prison sentences.
After the coup, the military officers set up the Ulusal Birlik Komitesi
(National Unity Committee, hereafter NUC). The NUC remained in power
for more than a year to carry out the revolution’s reforms: banks were
closed,
the
personal
accounts
of
leading
politicians and businessmen
were frozen and loans were
suspended. All inflationary
policies were also cancelled,
like
large
construction
projects. The purchase of
government bonds was
made compulsory for wage
earners. Price controls were
introduced and land taxes
were increased. On the other
hand, the salaries of army officers were greatly increased and special army
stores were opened.9 The Army Mutual Assistance Association (OYAK)
was established and the army began collecting capital from its officers,
5
6
7
8
9
Semih Vaner, ‘The Army’, in Irvin C. Schick and Ertu÷rul Ahmet Tonak (eds.),
Turkey in Transition, New Perspectives, (New York and Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1987), pp. 236-265, pp. 237-238.
Türkkaya Ataöv, ‘The 27th May Revolution and Its Aftermath’ The Turkish
Yearbook of International Relations, 1960-1961, p. 20.
Vaner, ‘The Army...’, p. 328.
Andrew Mango, Turkey, (London: Thames and Hudson, 1968), p. 89.
Stanford J. Shaw and Ezel Kural Shaw, History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern
Turkey, Vol. II, (Cambridge and London: Cambridge University Press, 1977), pp.
414-415.
they started to run business like a civilian corporation. OYAK also set up
army bazaars to support the officers.10 Moreover, the Democrat Party
supporters or sympathisers were purged from the army and the bureaucracy
and 147 academicians were dismissed.11
The Coup’s Ideology: Leftist and Kemalist
The coup leaders were anti-Democrat and opposed all DP reforms.
They named their policies Kemalist;12 however, their Kemalism was less
pragmatic than that of Atatürk. They were idealist and aimed to transform
the country without any compromise. Surprisingly, as will be seen, they
were idealistic on foreign policy matters as well. Third, unlike Atatürk’s
Kemalism, the importance of socialist ideas in their Kemalism was
obvious. Social justice, equality, independence and anti-imperialism were
the main pillars of the ‘revolution-like-coup’ and this leftist attitude was
also reflected on their foreign policy approach. It should also be noted that
the coup of 27 May 1960 is the first and last successful military coup made
from outside the hierarchical structure of the Turkish Army.13The lack of
hierarchical order made the coup more idealistic and romantic but less
pragmatic and realistic.
‘Kemalist Measures’ and the Restructuring of Foreign
Policy Machinery
After the coup, the army declared that they would not give up the
democratic multi-party political system; however, they attempted to
maintain their Kemalist hegemony within a multi-party system. As such,
they set a political structure around a politically strong army. The system
was fully-democratic in appearance and the 1961 Constitution, made by
the soldiers, was considered the most democratic Turkish constitution. Yet
army control over political life was obvious and as a matter of fact that the
27 May Coup institutionalized the army’s place in Turkish politics.
10
Feroz Ahmad, The Making of Modern Turkey, (London: Routledge, 1996), pp. 130131.
11
W. F. Weiker, The Turkish Revolution, 1960-1961, Aspects of Military Politics,
(Washington D.C.: 1963), pp. 54-55; Saw and Shaw, History of..., p. 415.
12
ùevket Süreyya Aydemir, htilalin Mantıı ve 27 Mayıs htilali, (The Logic of
Revolution and The Revolution of 27 May), (østanbul: Remzi Kitabevi, 1973), pp. 512.
13
Ahmad, The Making…, p. 121.
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In foreign policy, the 1961 Constitution aimed to restore Kemalist
principles. As Server Tanilli put it, the Constitution accepted
‘independence’ and ‘peace’ as the two main pillars of Turkish foreign
policy.14 The Introductory section underlined Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s
‘peace at home, peace in the world’-principle.15 Thus the Kemalist pacifist
principle
was
constitutionalised by the
Some of the Turkish Newspapers
coup. Likewise, in that
Welcomed the Military Coup
section and in article V, 77,
and 96, the independence
principles
were
underlined.16 Apart from the
independence and pacifist
principles, other Kemalist
principles,
namely
secularism,
Kemalist
nationalism, republicanism,
etatism and populism were
maintained. In particular,
secularism continued to
determine Turkey’s relations
with the Muslim countries.
Thus the coup aimed to
secure Kemalism in foreign
policy with constitutional obligations. Moreover, the 1961 Constitution
drew a pluralistic legal framework in domestic matters in order to divide
and balance the civilian power. As will be seen, this pluralism caused a
resurgence of left and right ideologies, particularly the rise of Marxism.
Thus the constitutional changes indirectly helped to create more
alternatives in foreign policy, creating a pluralistic foreign policy in the
future.
Second, the state machinery was restructured. The National Security
Council (NSC, Milli Güvenlik Kurulu) was also created. The members of
the Council were the President, Head of the General Staff, four other
generals (from Air, Naval, Ground and Gendarme forces), Prime Minister,
Minister for Defence Affairs and Minister for Foreign Affairs. The body’s
main task was to maintain Kemalism in state and society and to control
politicians and bureaucrats. According to the 1961 Constitution, the NSC
was more powerful than the Prime Minister, President, Cabinet and on
14
15
16
Server Tanilli, Devlet ve Demokrasi (State and Democracy), 6th Edition, (østanbul;
Say Yayınları, 1990), pp. 593-595.
Constitution of the Turkish Republic, (Trs.: S. Balkan, A. Uysal and K. Karpat),
(Ankara: 1961), Intr. Section.
Constitution...
some occasions even the Turkish Parliament. For example, the
Constitution stated that the Cabinet had to consider decisions taken by the
NSC,17 and in practice the Cabinet had to carry out NSC decisions without
debate.18 The NSC also had great power in foreign policy decision-making,
and, as an extension of the revolutionary ideology, the NSC’s priority in
external relations was national security. Therefore the NSC looked at the
foreign policy issue through the national security prism. The problem was
that there was no clear definition for national security or as Orhan Erkanlı,
Coup leader stated, national security covered all political issues: ‘From the
price of rice to roads and touristic sites, there is not a single problem in this
country which is not related to national security. If you happen to be very
deep thinker that too is a matter of national security.’19
As a result, the NSC had incredible freedom in deciding domestic and
foreign policies and in reality the Cabinet and foreign policy bureaucracy
were only assistants to the NSC in implementing the policies. In addition
to the NSC’s approach to foreign policy, the army also saw national
security issues as its constitutional task. Therefore, neither the NSC nor the
army consulted the
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs or the Cabinet
in many foreign policy
issues. However, the
political atmosphere
brought on by the coup
and by the 1961
Constitution
caused
some
pluralistic
changes in foreign
policy
making:
Turkish foreign policy
was made exclusively by the executive branch with minimum participation
of other branches between 1923 and 1960 and foreign policy issues were
considered national consensus issues.20 Therefore, the press and opposition
could not freely criticize Turkish foreign policy until the 1960 coup. With
the ‘new Constitution’ and new political environment, the former taboo
regarding discussion of foreign policy was lifted and national consensus on
foreign policy was broken. However, despite the more colourful press and
17
18
19
20
The 1961 Constitution, Article 118/3.
Bülent Tanör, ‘Türkiye’de Dıú øliúkilerin øç Hukuk Rejimi’ (The Legal Regime of
Turkey’s External Relations in Domestic Framework), in Faruk Sönmezo÷lu (ed.),
Türk Dı Politikasının Analizi (The Analysis of Turkish Foreign Policy), p. 324.
Ahmad, The Making..., p. 130.
Nasuh Uslu, The Turkish-American Relationship between 1947 and 2003, The
History of a Distinctive Alliance, (New York: Nova, 2003), pp. 39-40.
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stronger opposition on foreign policy issues, it could not change the strong
position of the NSC or the Army in the first years of the Coup.
Another institutional change introduced was the creation of the
Supreme Court (Anayasa Mahkemesi). In democratic systems, Supreme
Courts are established to protect the people and minorities against the
state’s ‘unjust’ policies. However, in Turkey the priority was protecting the
state from the people and the Constitutional Court was set to protect the
Kemalist state from the people, parliament and ‘unreliable politicians’.
Also, the High Court of Justice was reorganised to try accused members of
the DP21 and 592 leading members were brought to trial on Yassıada
Island. Furthermore, other laws and institutions were introduced by NUC,
like the State Planning Organization (SPO), which was formed to plan and
control the official expenditures aimed at completely changing the
Democratic economic structure because for the Kemalist elite, the
Democrats’ liberal market economy was decaying the social structure of
Kemalist ideology.
Contrary to the Democrats’ market economy model, the NUC promoted
a planned economy with an import substitution strategy. Moreover, the
1961 Constitution set a bicameral parliament and cut parliament’s duties of
legislation, ratification of the treaties and the authorisation of the use of
armed force (Articles 63, 64, 65 and 66). The lower house, with 450
deputies was to be elected for four years by a direct general election. The
upper house, the Senate of the Republic (Cumhuriyet Senatosu), was to be
composed of 150 members elected for a six-year term. Also, according to
the constitution, 15 additional members were to be appointed by the
President from individuals distinguished for their services in various fields,
at least ten of whom were to be independent of political parties (Articles 70
and 72). Furthermore, the chairman and all members of the NUC were
automatically appointed members of the Senate. With these amendments,
the NUC aimed at a balanced political system to prevent civilian
‘autocracy’ over the elite and aimed to guarantee the military, bureaucrats
and the Kemalist elite’s privileged position in society. The NUC also
aimed to maintain the Kemalist values in the state system with the
Constitution law and the institutions. With these reforms, the challenge to
Kemalism had ended and once more the civil and military bureaucrats
became the privileged and most respected group in society, and, as will be
seen, they were dedicated to the preservation of the status quo.
21
Düstur, Dördüncü Tertib, two vols. (Ankara: 1961).
POST-REVOLUTION: THE NEED FOR A
TRANSFORMATION IN FOREIGN POLICY
The 1960 Revolution alarmed the United States and the world,22 as it
became difficult to predict political developments in Turkey. Aware that
they needed international support, notably that of NATO, the coup leaders
moved quickly to dispel anxiety about Turkey’s international position, and
pointed out that the reason for the coup was domestic not external.23 In his
first speech on national radio, Alparslan Türkeú, the coup’s spokesman,
declared Turkey’s position after the coup:
‘(…) We are addressing ourselves to our allies, friends,
neighbours, and the entire world. Our aim is to remain completely
loyal to the United Nations Charter and to the principles of human
rights; the principle of peace at home and in the world set by the
great Atatürk is our flag. We are loyal to all our alliances and
undertakings. We believe in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
(NATO), and the Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO), and we are
faithful to them. We repeat our ideal is peace at home, peace in the
world.’24
Not only the army, but also the øsmet ønönü and JP governments had
reaffirmed Turkish commitments to the West and the world.25 In particular,
during the early 1960s, Turkey did not change the essence of its foreign
policy;26 however, in the later years, Turkish foreign policy underwent
remarkable changes. It can be argued that there were six main reasons for
these changes: the failure of the DP policies; the army’s scepticism over
the Democrats’ Americanism; the resurgence of opposition in foreign
policy matters; the rise of the anti-Western Marxist school; the marriage
between Kemalism and the left; and finally the Cyprus Crisis. We will now
discuss the first two, and then we will focus on the other issues in the
following sections.
22
23
24
25
26
New York Times, 28 May 1960, The Times 29 May 1960.
Milliyet, 27 May 1960.
Deniz Atiye Erden, Turkish Foreign Policy Through the United Nations, 1960-1970,
unpublished PhD thesis, University of Massachusetts, 1974, pp. 46-47.
øsmail Arar, Hükümet Programları, 1920-1965 (The Government Programs, 19201965), (østanbul: Burcak Yayınevi), pp. 312-350.
Haluk Gerger, Türk Dı Politikasının Ekonomi Politii, (The Political Economy of
Turkish Foreign Policy), (østanbul: Belge Yayınları, 1998), pp. 94-99.
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Failure of the DP’s Foreign Policy
The failure of the DP in foreign policy was obvious. In the Middle East,
the Baghdad Pact had resulted in a disaster for Turkey, and anti-Turkish
feelings had dramatically increased in the Arab world, thanks to Menderes’
policies over Iraq and Syria and Turkey’s support for the former colonialist
powers. Turkey’s pro-Western policy did not even make Israel happy. For
the West, Menderes had sacrificed Turkish interests in the East to maintain
Western support, while the Western attitude, especially over Cyprus,
proved that the West would not support the Turks. As a result, in spite of
its domestic success the DP foreign policy was considered a failure and
this failure forced the new policy-makers to look for a new way, and
encouraged the opposition to challenge the existing policies.
Army Unhappiness with DP-Type Americanism
The May 1960 coup was triggered by the deteriorating domestic
political and economic situation in Turkey, yet the execution of the
Minister for Foreign Affairs was significant and showed the extent of the
Army’s unrest over the Democrats’ foreign policy. Under the heavy
influence of the left-wing groups, the army perceived the Democratic
foreign policies as a deviation from the Kemalist path, and the Democrats’
policy in the Middle East especially dissatisfied Army officers. For
example, General Esengil argued that the Turkish army lost prestige and
control over Turkey’s security while NUC member Karan claimed that
Turkey had become a sacrificeable country for the American interests.27
For the army, Menderes’ foreign policy was a further deviation from
Kemalist secularism, Westernism and realism.28 The Army was not happy
with Democratic foreign policy and planned a radical change in foreign
policy. Despite their words, the army was more sceptical about relations
with the West. In addition, the revolution’s leaders were under the
influence of left-wing groups and the army and thus attached greater
importance to the concept of equality and national independence within
bilateral relationships than the DP regime had. For the revolutionary
leaders, secret agreements with the United States were against Kemalist
realism and independence principles as the DP had placed total trust in the
United States, even Turkish customs did not control the American goods
sent to Turkey.29 However, the United States let Turkey down in foreign
27
28
29
Kenan Esengil, 27 Mayıs ve Ordudaki Kıyımlar (27 May and the Sacrifices in the
Army), (østanbul: 1978), pp. 10-11; Orhan Erkanli, ‘Dıú Yardımlar ve Dıú Tesirler’
(Foreign Aid and Foreign Effect), Gerçek Fikir Ajansı Bülteni, No. 3, January 1966.
George Lenczowski, Soviet Advances in the Middle East, (Washington, D.C.:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Research, 1972), p. 49.
Cumhuriyet (daily, østanbul), 2 July 1961.
policy, as seen in the Lebanon and Cyprus affairs. As one American
Ambassador to Ankara accepted in his memoirs, the United States did not
even ask Turkey when it used its bases in Turkey.30 As a result, the coup
leaders made an effort to change secret agreements and the direction of
Turkish-American relations; they even encouraged public debates on that
matter. In particular, the army requested to increase Turkey’s power to
decide the status of American soldiers and officers in Turkey. According to
the 1954 Agreement with the United States, an American soldier was not
under Turkish jurisdiction if he was on duty and the army considered these
privileges an extension of capitulations in the Ottoman Empire. More
generally, the army was against the DP’s Americanism and desired more
balanced relations with the world on the basis of the principles of equality
and independence.
RISE OF NEO-KEMALISM (LEFTIST KEMALISM) IN
FOREIGN POLICY
Until the 1960 coup, the difference between foreign and domestic
policies was not clear for Turkish political groups. For Atatürk, foreign
policy was an extension of domestic goals and he saw foreign policy as a
tool to maintain his reforms. ønönü followed Atatürk’s way and did not
promote a distinct foreign policy theory. In the Menderes period, foreign
policy matters increased importance, but foreign policy was still a ‘high
politics’ issue, even for the parliamentarians. However, after the coup, with
the effect of political polarisation, the gap between the political groups on
foreign policy matters widened and the coup leaders, contrary to the
previous Turkish leaders, encouraged public debates on foreign policy.31
These debates deepened the differences. The first response came from the
Kemalist leftists who shared the ideology of the military coup. Particularly
the Yön circle made efforts to set a different foreign policy ideology based
on leftism and Kemalism.
30
31
George McGhee, ABD–Türkiye–NATO-Ortadou (USA-Turkey-NATO-Middle
East), (Ankara: Bilgi Yayınevi, 1992), p. 275.
Changes in international relations also provided a suitable environment for such
debates: Ömer Kürkçüoglu, ‘Dıú Politika Nedir? Türkiye’deki Dünü ve Bugünü’,
(What is Foreign Policy? Its Past and Present in Turkey), AÜ SBF Dergisi / Ankara
University SBF Journal, Vol. 35, Nos.: 1-4, January-December, 1980, p. 235.
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Marriage of Kemalism and Leftism: Yön Movement32
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk had severely suppressed the Marxist movement
in Turkey. However, in the so-called liberal atmosphere of the Constitution
of 1961, works of many leading socialist writers and leaders were freely
translated and circulated in Turkey. Socialist ideas were rising among the
people and the intellectuals in the 1960s.33 The 1960 coup’s leftist ideas
became more influential in certain sections of the Kemalist elite and
bureaucracy, and their influence over the educated elite was remarkable. In
particular, RPP members, during the ønönü era were exposed to the
communist ideology and it can be said that the ønönist interpretation of
Kemalism provided a suitable ground for Marxists in the state machinery.
During the DP period, similar policies of the RPP and the Marxists, like
etatism, anti-religious and anti-liberal economic policies connected these
two political groups and increased the Marxist influence over the
bureaucracy, the army and the RPP. This culminated in the 1960s when
similarities between the leftist groups and the RPP increased and the leftist
Kemalists became the strongest group amongst the Kemalist elite.
The marriage of Kemalist Western scepticism with leftist anticapitalism and anti-imperialism resulted in reinterpretation of the goals of
Turkish foreign policy and opened an era of
criticism over Turkey’s Western orientation.34
Until that time, the Islamists had protested over
Turkey’s commitments to the West, but they
were weak, and had no influence over the state.
On 20 December 1961, the leftist Kemalists
established their influential journal, Yön
(Direction). This journal provided the first
serious and organised criticism of Turkish
foreign policy. Yön advocated new security
strategies for Turkey outside of NATO and
propagated rapprochement with the Soviet
Union.35 In doing so, for the first time in Republican history Turkey’s
Western connections were severely criticised.36
32
33
34
35
36
‘Yön’ means ‘direction’ in Turkish language. For Yön Movement see Hikmet
Özdemir, Kalkınmada Bir Strateji Arayıı Yön Hareketi (Search for a Strategy in
Development: The Yön Movement), (Ankara: Bilgi, 1986).
Gönlübol, ‘A Short Appraisal of Foreign Policy of the Turkish Republic’, The
Turkish Yearbook of International Relations, Volume 14, p. 8.
Gönlübol, ‘A Short...’, p. 8.
Mümtaz Soysal, ‘Yalnızlık’ (Aloneness), Yön, No. 143; Haluk Ülman, ‘Dıú
Politikamızın De÷iúkenleri II’, Yön, No. 27, 20 June 1962, p. 16.
Ergun Aydıno÷lu, Eletirel Bir Tarih Denemesi, 1960-1971, Türk Solu (A Critical
History Essay, 1960-1971, Turkish Left), (østanbul: Belge Yayınları, 1992), pp. 3842.
While the need for change was real and there was serious concern over
the Turkish-Western alliance amongst the academics, the army and
politicians, no one knew any alternatives to the West. For example, when
the Forum journal began a serious debate on Turkish foreign policy,
academics claimed that any change from the traditional foreign policy was
impossible although the need for such change was essential.37 The neoKemalist response came from Haluk Ülman, whose article can be
considered the first serious Kemalist critique of Turkey’s pro-Western
foreign policy. In his article, Ülman claimed that the international system
was changing and the Soviet Union was no longer a threat. Ülman further
claimed that NATO could not guarantee Turkey’s security, but might
increase Turkey’s defence expenditure, and risk Turkish security by
provoking other nations. Therefore, Turkey had to end all NATO
commitments and he suggested that Turkey improve its relations with the
communist bloc and the Third World.38 Ülman’s argument encouraged
others and began an era of criticism. Leftist Türkkaya Ataöv, Do÷an
Avcıo÷lu and Mümtaz Soysal, all lecturers at Ankara University, followed
Ülman and claimed that Turkey’s pro-Western policies harmed Turkish
interests.39 They also tried to reconcile Kemalism and leftist ideas with the
aim of formulating a Kemalist-leftist doctrine arguing that the Kemalist
reforms were socialist. Yön authors named Kemalism ‘national
socialism’.40 For neo-Kemalists, Atatürk was the greatest leftist in Turkish
history and the War of Independence and the Kemalist reforms were the
greatest anti-imperialist, leftist achievements of the Turks.41 For example,
Ataöv criticised Turkey’s policy towards the Algerian Independence War
as ‘Turkey lost its credits, which it had gained with the War of
Independence. The only way to get them back and to be a leader for the
37
38
39
40
41
‘Dıú Politikamız Üzerine’ (On Our Foreign Policy), Forum, 15 December 1960 and
Forum, 15 February 1962; Aydıno÷lu, Elestirel..., p. 55.
Haluk Ülman, ‘Dıú Politikamızın De÷iúkenleri I’, (Changeable Factors of Our
Foreign Policy I), Yön, No. 26, 1962, pp. 14-15.
The Yön authors claimed that Atatürk aimed at Westernism, but he was against the
West: Niyazi Berkes, ‘Gericilik ve Batının Zararlı Tesirleri’ (Reactionary
Movements and the Bad Effects of the West), Yön, No. 58, 23 January 1963, p. 8.
Yakup Kadri Karaosmano÷lu, ‘Atatürk’ün Özledi÷i Türkiye’, Yön, No. 47, 7
November 1962, p. 12; Sadun Aren, the leading socialist-Kemalist, also argued that,
in particular, Kemal’s populism and etatism principles showed his socialist dream
for Turkey: Sadun Aren, ‘Atatürk’ün Özledi÷i Türkiye’yi Kurabildik mi?’, Yön, No.
47, 7 November 1962, p. 14.
ùevket Süreyya Aydemir, ‘Türk Sosyalizminin ølkeleri’ (The Principles of Turkish
Socialism), Yön, No. 56, 9 January 1963, p. 8; Cahit Tanyol, ‘Açık Oturum
Konusmaúı’ (The Open Negotiations Speech), Yön, No. 75, 23 May 1963, p. 11;
Sadun Aren, ‘SBF’de Atatürk’ (Atatürk in SBF), Yön, No. 49, 21 November 1962, p.
5.
$ &"
developing states was Kemalist Socialism.’42 Similarly, Avcıo÷lu saw
Turkey’s place among the Third World states.43
In fact, the contradiction was obvious: as has been seen, Atatürk’s aim
was never to be the leader of any group of nations. His first and only
priority was Turkey, not the developing countries. Despite such obvious
differences, the new leftists continued to use the Kemalist name. Avcıo÷lu,
the leading columnist and publisher of Yön, suggested a revolutionary takeover by the Kemalist-leftist army officers in order to realise all these
objectives because, for him, there were ‘native collaborators of
imperialism’ in Turkey.44 These collaborators were the Turkish
bourgeoisie and its representatives, namely the JP and other right-wing
parties.45 Similarly, almost all leftist-Kemalists, like Çetin Altan,46
Türkkaya Ataöv,47 and Mehmet Ali Aybar48 claimed that Western
imperialism was responsible for Turkish backwardness. For example,
Ataöv argued that NATO and the United States brought nothing but
infringement, instability and backwardness to Turkish society and risked
Turkish security by provoking the Soviet Union.49
Another platform for the leftist-Kemalists was the Aydınlık journal. In
fact, it was a Marxist-Leninist periodical in essence and shared very little
with Kemalism; however, some of its members claimed that Mustafa
Kemal was a good socialist and anti-imperialist. For example, Belli argued
that the Kemalist reforms prepared a suitable ground for a socialist
revolution, accusing the Democrats of being a bastion of ‘Western
imperialism’ in the Middle East.50 Behice Boran also stressed socialism as
an alternative for Turkey’s foreign affairs arguing that the alliance with
NATO hindered Turkey’s economic progress and risked its security.51
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
Türkkaya Ataöv, ‘Atatürk’ün Dıú Politikası’ (Ataturk’s Foreign Policy), Yön,
Turkish journal, No. 47, 1962, p. 18.
Dogan Avcıo÷lu, ‘Emperyalizmin Çırpınıúları’ (Imperialism’s Last Struggles to
Live), Yön, No. 98, 12 February 1965, p. 3.
Do÷an Avcıo÷lu, Devrim Üzerine (On the Revolution), (Ankara: Bilgi, 1971);
Türkiye’nin Düzeni (Turkey’s Order), (Ankara: Bilgi, 1970).
Cumhuriyet (daily, østanbul), 15 November 1962.
Çetin Altan, Onlar Uyanırken: Türk Sosyalistlerinin El Kitabı (When They are
Awakening: Guide Book for Turkish Socialists), (østanbul: Dönem, 1967).
Türkkaya Ataöv, Amerika, NATO ve Türkiye (America, NATO and Turkey),
(Ankara: Aydınlık, 1969).
Mehmet Ali Aybar, Baımsızlık, Demokrasi, Sosyalizm (Independence, Democracy,
Socialism), (østanbul: Gerçek, 1968).
Ataöv, Amerika…
Mihri Belli, ‘Ulusal Demokratik Devrim’ (National Democratic Revolution),
Aydınlık, 27 May 1966; Mihri Belli, Yazılar, 1965-1970 (Collected Essays),
Ankara: Sol Yayinları, 1970), pp. 12-24.
Behice Boran, Türkiye ve Sosyalizm Sorunları, (Turkey and the Problems of
Socialism), (østanbul: Tekin Yayinevi, 1970), pp. 46-52.
The leftist-Kemalist foreign policy framework was based on three main
assumptions. First, the West was imperialist and wanted to colonise Turkey
and other Third World countries and therefore, Turkey’s efforts for
integration into the West did not help Turkey’s development and security.
Second, the Turkish Right and business class were collaborators with
Western imperialism, and enemies of Kemalism. In order to implement an
independent, Kemalist and anti-imperial foreign policy, a revolution led by
the army and other ‘progressive’ forces was compulsory. Third, Turkey’s
foreign policy must be independent, socialist and Third Worldist, friendly
relations with the Soviet Union and the Third World were essential.
The creation of a Marxist Turkish Workers Party (Türkiye çi Partisi,
TIP) increased criticism of traditional Turkish foreign policy.52 The
Marxists and other leftist groups, not
only
influenced
and
pressured
government
agencies,
but
also
organised street demonstrations and
attacks against American interests in
Turkey.53 Foreign policy was crucial to
the Marxists programme and, unlike the
JP, RPP or other parties, the TIP
focused on foreign policy.54 The TIP
publicly criticised Turkey’s alliance
with the United States, and accused the
West
of
occupying
Turkey
economically and politically.55 They
also accused Turkish foreign policymakers of this and attempted to prove
that Mustafa Kemal was the greatest
leftist in Turkish history by arguing that
the RPP and the DP governments
deviated from Kemalist policies. For
the TIP, the real Kemalist foreign policy had to be based on independence
and the struggle against the imperialist West,56 as the TIP declared its
foreign policy objectives were: ‘to protect the national independence,
52
53
54
55
56
Mahmut B. Aykan, Turkey’s Role in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference
1960-1992, The Nature of Deviation from the Kemalist Heritage, (New York:
Vantage Press, 1994), p. 55.
Aydıno÷lu, Eletirel..., pp. 46-49.
Türkiye çi Partisi Programı, (Turkish Workers Party Programme), (Ankara, TIP,
n.d.).
Cumhuriyet (daily, østanbul), 25 March 1965, Milliyet (daily, østanbul), 27 May
1967.
Erkin Topkaya, Anayasa, Siyasi Partiler Kanunu, Program ve Tüzükleriyle
Türkiye’de Balıca Siyasi Partiler, (Constitution, the Law of Political Parties and
the Main Political Parties with Their Programmes), (Ankara: Ulusal, 1969), p. 442.
$ &"
Republic, territorial integrity, equality in foreign policy…to struggle
against imperialism and support the independence movements in the Third
world and colonies.’57
Yön and the success of the TIP caused an ideological shift within them
as the RPP became the home of leftist-Kemalism. In the 1960s, Bülent
Ecevit created a new ideology for the RPP, Ortanın Solu (Left of Centre).58
Ecevit argued that the RPP had to change its so-called ‘non-Kemalist’
policies because as the greatest anti-imperialist, Atatürk’s policies were
good examples of leftist policies. Ecevit, in reaction to the elitist approach
of the single-party system of the 1930s-40s, argued that elitism had
alienated people from the party and caused repeated election defeats in the
multi-party period. A new understanding had to be given to people and
class-policies.59 Ecevit further claimed that like Atatürk, the RPP had to
follow a foreign policy based on more independence and good relations
with the anti-imperialist states, namely the Third World and Soviet Union.
One of the most significant features of Ecevit’s foreign policy
understanding was its American scepticism. Ecevit publicly accused the
Americans of destabilising the other countries in his 1966 party speech:
‘In America it has been disclosed with what “dirty game” the
CIA is involved affecting domestic politics in friendly and allied
countries. It pours money into elections in order to bring those who
it wants into power and unseat those it does not want; in some
countries it even stuffs poling boxes with false ballots. In order to
prepare a pretext for smashing legal and domestic opposition, it has
claimed that there was a great communist danger.’60
Though Ecevit could not find an opportunity to implement his ideology
at this stage, in the 1970s he marginalised ønönü and his ideology from the
party and leftist-Kemalism became the ideology behind Turkish foreign
policy in the 1970s.
57
58
59
60
Ibid., pp. 443-444.
For Ecevit’s new leftist ideology, see: Bülent Ecevit, Ortanın Solu (Left of Centre),
(østanbul: Tekin, 1968).
Güneú - Ayata, pp. 161-162.
Ulus, daily paper supported by the RPP, 21 June 1966, as cited in George S. Harris,
Troubled Alliance, Turkish-American Problems in Historical Perspective, 19451971, (Washington, D.C.: Hoover, 1972), p. 136.
Despite Marxist and Kemalist-leftist propaganda and the real need for
change, Turkey needed time for such a great shift in foreign policy because
the coup leaders and then ønönü
needed fresh financial credits.
Moreover, the Soviet Union was
still a great menace, and Turkey
saw no alternative to an alliance
with the West. As a result,
NATO and the alliance with the
West were generally considered
taboo issues in Turkey. For
example,
Kemalist-socialist
Sadun Aren notes that the TIP
party could not start a ‘NO to
NATO’ campaign for fear that their party would be closed down by the
courts.61 Only the Jupiter Missiles Affair and the Cyprus crisis demolished
this taboo and allowed the neo-Kemalists to openly attack existing Turkish
foreign policy.
Apart from the leftists, even the traditionalist foreign policy experts
started to criticise Turkey’s pro-Western policy and its neglect of the Third
World. For example, Fahir Armao÷lu, a traditionalist, Kemalist academic,
argued that Turkey could manage to improve its relations with the
developing countries with NATO membership.62
61
62
Sadun Aren, TP Olayı 1961-1971, (TIP Affair, 1961-1971), (østanbul: Cem
Yayınları, 1993), p. 67.
Fahir Armao÷lu, ‘Türkiye ve NATO’, (Turkey and NATO), Forum, No. 193, 1962,
p. 18.
$ &"
Turkish Governments in the Inter-Coups Era (1961-1971)
I. Gürsel Government
(30 May 1960–5 January 1961)
II. Gürsel Government
(5 January 1961–20 November
1961)
(20 November 1961–25 June 1962)
(25 June 1962–25 December 1963)
VIII. ønönü Government
IX. ønönü Government
X. ønönü Government
II. Demirel Government
(25 December 1963–20 February
1965)
(20 February 1965–27 October
1965)
(27 October 1965–3 November
1969)
(3 November 1969–6 March 1970)
III. Demirel Government
(6 March 1970–26 March 1971)
Ürgüplü Government
I. Demirel Government
THE øNÖNÜ GOVERNMENT AND THE FIRST SHOCK
(1961–1964)
Having strengthened its position and ensured the future of its reforms,
the military decided to transfer power to elected civilians. After the general
elections in October 1961, a ‘civilian’
government was finally restored under the
shadow of the army.. Perhaps they would
not have done so if the economy had gone
well, but in the face of radical measures the
economy almost came to a halt and as
Shaw and Shaw have argued, not only
businessmen but also workers and peasants
began to show increasing unrest and a
desire for the restoration of a civilian
regime.63
After the coup, the RPP emerged as the
most important political party. However,
the people associated the RPP with the
coup and the newly emerging mercantile
class, in particular, and peasants feared that
a possible RPP return to power would restore etatism and other early
Republican autocratic policies despite the RPP’s programme in the post63
Shaw and Shaw, History of..., pp. 415-416.
coup era being more liberal than ever. In the elections of 15 October 1961,
the RPP received only 36.7 per cent of the vote and the JP 34.8 per cent.
The NTP gained 13 per cent and the Republican Peasants Party (RPP)
gained 14 per cent of the vote. In the Senate the JP gained 47 per cent of
the seats and the RPP received just 24 per cent.64 The result was a great
disappointment for the NUC, and the Council even thought of invalidating
the results; however, the agreement between the RPP and the JP prevented
that, and the NUC agreed to retire from the scene and allow a coalition
government to form under ønönü’s leadership.
First, as a reaction to the DP’s activist Middle Eastern policy, ønönü
made great efforts to keep Turkey out of the Middle East in the first years
of the 1960s.65 In other words, ønönü tried to restore Mustafa Kemal’s noninvolvement policy in the region; however, as will be seen, the
international developments would force Turkey into a more active Middle
Eastern policy. Another foreign policy development of the second ønönü
period was the Soviet attempt to improve relations with Turkey. The Soviet
Union offered $500 million to ønönü on 1 January 1962,66 and a $25
million trade agreement was signed. However, ønönü did not dare institute
a complete change in Turkey’s Soviet policy and declared that Turkey
belonged to a different political system and could not change its foreign
policy. On the other hand, the Soviet Union’s moderate Turkish policy
influenced the Turkish elite and nourished the neo-Kemalist (leftist)
approach. The neo-Kemalists claimed that Turkey should not lose the
opportunity to improve relations with the Soviet Union in order to balance
its foreign policy. Mehmet Gönlübol, a traditional Westernist, accused the
neo-Kemalists of being totally ideological: ‘It is early to understand the
real Soviet intentions. We cannot refuse the West at once just for a couple
of words of Khrushchev.’67 When Soviet credit failed to restore the
Turkish economy, ønönü turned again towards the United States and
demanded more economic aid. The United States agreed to increase aid,
and as Sander put it, Turkey supported the United States and the
‘colonialist states’ against the developing countries or colonies in order to
show its gratitude to NATO.68
64
65
66
67
68
C. H. Dodd, The Crisis of Turkish Democracy, (Huntingdon: The Eothen Press,
1990), p. 223.
Süha Bölükbaúı, Türkiye ve Yakınındaki Orta Dou, (Turkey and Its Near Middle
East), (Ankara: Dıú Politika Enstitüsü, 1992), p. 5.
Cumhuriyet, 2-3 January 1962; A. Suat Bilge, Güç Komuluk, Türkiye-Sovyetler
Birlii likileri, 1920-1964 (The Difficult Neighbourhood, Turkey-Soviet Union
Relations), (Ankara: Türkiye Iú Bankası Kültür Yayınları, 1992), p. 346.
Mehmet Gönlübol, ‘Kıssadan Hisse’, (Moral of the Story), Forum, No. 205, 1962, p.
9.
Oral Sander, Türk-Amerikan likileri, 1947-1964 (Turkish-American Relations,
1947-1964), (Ankara: Sevinç, 1979), p. 207.
$ &"
The Jupiter Missile Crisis69
In the early 1960s, the US’ removal of its Jupiter missiles (IRBMs)
from Turkey (and Italy) as a trade-off for Soviet missiles in Cuba (The
Jupiter Missile Crisis) led to a crisis in Turkish–American relations: when
the U.S. decided to deploy IRBMs, the Department of Defence and
American Joint Chiefs of Staff placed Turkey with France, Alaska and
Okinawa at the top of their list.70 However, the State Department
recommended that France be listed ahead of Turkey for a variety of
reasons. First, the State Department considered France a greater ally in
NATO. Italy was the second and Greece along with Turkey held the third
spot on the list.71
General
Lauris
Norstad,
Supreme
Allied Commander in
Europe between 1956
and 1963, thought
there could be strong
opposition to the
installation of IRBMs
in
Turkey
since
Turkey was on the
Soviet borders and the IRBMs might trigger a fierce response from
Moscow. The second problem was the suspicions of Turkey. As discussed
before, some NATO members still considered Turkey an eastern country
and could not accept it as a true European. Therefore, General Norstad
reported that if the ‘Northern Europeans’ thought Turkey would receive the
missiles, ‘it would blow the whole thing. They believe(d) the Turks would
be too warlike with them.’72 The stereotype of Turks as a ‘warlike (if not
barbarian) nation’ was very strong, even among the Americans. Similar to
Norstad, Robert Murphy, a year later talked about ‘Turkish temperament’
69
70
71
72
Also see Philip Nash, The Other Missiles of October, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and the
Jupiters 1957-1963, (London: The University of North Carolina Press, 1997);
Barton J. Bernstein, ‘The Cuban Misilse Crisis: Trading the Jupiters in Turkey’,
Political Science Quarterly, Spring 1980, Vol. 95, No. 1; Peter Cross, ‘Inside the
Cuban Misilse Crisis’, Military History, Nov. 2006, Vol. 23, No. 8; Lawrence
Chang and Peter Kornbluh (eds) The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962: The Making of
U.S. Policy, A National Security Archive Documents Reader, Second edition (New
York: The New Press, 1998); Elizabeth Beatty, The Jupiter Missile Mystery,
(Airmont, 1964).
Cyrus L. Sulzlberger, The Last of the Giants (New York: Macmillan, 1970), p. 442;
Nash, The Other..., p. 42; Jack Raymond, ‘Turkey to Get IRBM Base: Soviet
Complaint Expected’, New York Times, 11 October 1959.
Nash, The Other…, pp. 42-43.
Ibid., p. 45.
and argued that the Turks might launch the missiles irresponsibly.73 The
British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, opposed any sensitive
information sharing with the Turks. In brief, the Turks were not considered
a true ally and some NATO members objected strongly to Turkey as a
missile host. As a result, the Eisenhower administration decided that major
allies would come before minor allies in receiving IRBMs, France and
Italy before Turkey.74 The Americans spent the first half of 1958 devoting
their main effort to France; however, the Paris Government was primarily
interested in joint control over all the NATO nuclear weapons and used the
IRBM offer to shift the agenda.75 Greece was also among the candidates,
yet the Greek Government, under public pressure,76 did not accept the
IRBMs.
In the words of Nash, ‘from the very beginning, Turkey was unique in
its enthusiasm for the IRBMs’ but the reason was not the ‘Turkish
temperament’ or ‘warlike nature’ but its weakness before the Soviet threat.
Although some diplomats opposed the installation of the nuclear war heads
in Turkish territories, as not to provoke the communists, the Menderes
Government and the Army saw the nuclear weapons as a guarantee for
Turkey’s security and a strong sign to the Russians to prove that the
Western alliance was ready to use atomic weapons in an attack against
Turkey. For the Turkish generals, the American nuclear weapons were an
important part of the strength of the Turkish defence system.77 In this
framework, the Menderes Government had agreed with the US that 15
Jupiter intermediate-range ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads
would be installed in Turkey. Turkey was practically informed for
installation in December 1958 at a NAC meeting, yet the U.S. preferred to
delay the process not to intimidate the Soviet Union for a while. The delay
irked the Turkish side and when General Norstad restarted the process in
late April 1959, Turkey agreed in principle to accept the missiles.
However, it was obvious that Washington was not in a hurry to install the
missiles in Turkish territories while the Turks were hardly informed about
the process. The official reasons for the delay were funding difficulties and
bureaucracy. The official documents were changed on 10 September 1959,
and Ankara accepted the document without changing a word and signed it
on 19 September.78
73
Ibid.
Ibid.
75
Nash, The Other…, p. 49.
76
The Greek public opinion was increasingly hostile towards NATO because of the
role of the British and Turkish members over the Cyprus issue.
77
William Hale, Turkish Politics and the Military, (London and New York: Routledge,
1994), p. 133.
78
Nash, The Other…, p. 66.
74
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The missiles were installed in 1961 and became operational in the
spring of 1962. The targets were cities in the Western Soviet Union,
including Moscow and Soviet missiles. The Jupiter missiles in øzmir were
liquid fuelled and used above ground (soft) launchers, which made them
vulnerable to first strikes or prompt retaliatory launches.79 On paper they
belonged to Turkey, yet they could only be used with joint permission of
the both governments. Thanks to the Jupiter missiles, the Moscow target
was now 16 minutes away and Khrushchev publicly expressed anger with
the Turkish missile placement. The Cuban missile deployment was the
Soviets’ response to the American missiles in Turkey.80 With the Cuban
deployment, the Soviet missiles were outside of the USSR for the first
time. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Turkish people and the state
perceived the Jupiter Missiles as symbols of the NATO guarantee against a
possible Russian attack.81 However, the United States gave the Jupiter
missiles less strategic value considering a SSBN submarine could fulfil the
same tasks. For the Kennedy rule the Jupiters in øzmir constituted a
potential provocation and a technological dinosaur.82 As a result, the
Kennedy Government decided to remove these missiles from Turkey (and
Italy) as a bargaining chip vis-à-vis the Soviet Union following the Cuban
Missile Crisis without consulting or informing Turkey.83 Oral Sander, a
Turkish IR professor, argues that the US informed and made negotiations
to persuade Turkey to remove the Jupiter missiles. Sander gives General
Wood’s words in Congress as proof for his claim.84 However, we do not
have any document on the Turkish side confirming General Wood. Even if
the sides negotiated the withdrawal, we should accept that Turkey had no
alternative but to accept anything imposed by the US in the missile issue.
Another problem is the timing of consultation. The decision-maker in the
IRBMs withdrawal was obviously the U.S. and Turkey knew the decision
relatively late. Turkey was still unwilling to give up its IRBMs even in the
final days of the withdrawal, and that is why the decision can be named
unilateral. Turkey needed more tangible evidence of the U.S. strategic
commitment with the Jupiters gone. On 23 January 1963, Ankara
79
80
81
82
83
84
Stephen J. Cimbala, Coercive Military Strategy, (Texas: A&M University Press,
1998), p. 59.
Stephen J. Cimbala, Nuclear Strategy in the Twenty-First Century, (Greenwood
Publishing Group, 2000), p. 56.
Turan Yavuz, Satılık Müttefik, Gizli Belgeler Iıında 1962 Küba Füze Krizi ve
Türkiye, (The Ally for Sale, The Cuban Missile Crisis and Turkey in the Light of the
Secret Documents), (østanbul: Do÷an Kitapçılık AS., 1999), p. 19.
Cimbala, Coercive…, p. 59.
Yavuz, Satılık Müttefik..., p. 19; Harris, Troubled..., pp. 91-94.
Congressional Hearings, 89th Congress, 1st Session on Foreign Assistance Act of
1965, March 1965, Part V, pp. 734-735. Quoted in Sander, Türk-Amerikan…, p.
223.
announced publicly that the IRBMs would be dismantled.85 The Turkish
politicians’ aim was to force the Americans to increase its commitments to
Turkish security.86
This highly publicized ‘unilateral decision’ shocked all in Turkey and
increased doubts in the minds of Turkish statesmen about the credibility of
the Turkish-American alliance. Turkey had to accept the decision, but
debates in Parliament showed that the removal deeply affected the proWestern political parties’ morale and confidence in the NATO and the U.S.
against communism, including
the Justice Party.87 Only the
neo-Kemalists were ‘happy’.
For them, Turkey had at last
realized that the United States
could not secure Turkey’s
independence.
Do÷an
Avcıo÷lu declared the Cuban
Crisis as the start of a new
dawn in Turkish foreign
policy88 and almost all
political groups questioned the
essence of the alliance with
United States, which was
considered a taboo in Turkish
foreign policy. For example,
leftist-Kemalist
columnist
Abdi øpekçi claimed that the
alliance with the United States
and the American bases in
Turkey had risked Turkey’s security.89 At least it was understood that the
US traded Turkey for Cuba in the crisis. The Jupiter and Cuban Crisis also
showed how easy it was for the US to sacrifice Turkish interests for the
sake of protecting its own. In the words of Çelik,
85
86
87
88
89
‘Turks Give Up Missile Bases Long An Issue in the Cold War’, The New York
Times, 24 January 1963.
Nash, The Other…, pp. 163-165.
Erkin, the Turkish Foreign Minister, argued in the debates in Parliament, that
Turkish security was not in danger after the removal of the Jupiter missiles because
Turkey would be protected by the traditional missile systems: TBMM Tutanak
Dergisi, Vol. 11, 1963, 30. Session, 1. Otr., pp. 104-105; TBMM Tutanak Dergisi,
Vol. 11, 52. Session, 4. Otr., pp. 221-225.
Do÷an Avcıo÷lu, ‘Füzeler Kalkarken’ (When the Missiles are Rising), Yön, No. 59,
1963, p. 3 and Yön, No. 46, 1962, p. 3.
øpekçi further claimed that the alliance with the West damaged the Turkish
economy: Abdi øpekçi, Milliyet, 23 April 1962.
$ &"
‘The way in which the crisis was resolved made Turkish
politicians and the public acknowledge the fact that the Americans
would guarantee Turkey’s security only if it was to their advantage.
Furthermore, the fact that Ankara had not been invited to
participate in the negotiations to resolve the crisis contributed to the
perception that Turkey was no more than a pawn in cold war
politics. While Turkish officials may have been naïve for not coming
to these realizations earlier, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a sort of
rude awakening for them’.90
The removal of the missiles also ‘signalled a change in Turkey’s
strategic position’ in the American strategy and ‘Turkey no longer held the
position of extreme importance in the Cold War it had occupied
heretofore’.91 In this context, it can be argued that the Jupiter and Cuban
Missile Crisis were the first alarming signs for Turkish-US relations and
forced Turkish politicians towards a more balanced foreign policy in the
coming years. A major irritant in Soviet-Turkish relations was removed
with the withdrawal of the Jupiter missiles, and this consideration helped to
trigger a Soviet peace offensive to decrease tension between the two
countries.92
THE CYPRUS CRISIS AND THE JOHNSON LETTER:
THE REALITIES’ CHALLENGE TO WESTERNISM
There is no doubt that the most important reason for the transformation
in Turkish foreign policy during these years was the Cyprus Crisis and the
Western attitude towards Turkey on this issue. After the Jupiter Missiles
disappointment, the Cyprus Crisis once more caused the Turks to question
the US’ commitments to Turkey’s security and interests.
The armed clashes of 1963 between Greek and Turkish Cypriots
stimulated the interest of the general public and many different political
groups in Turkey on foreign policy matters.93 According to the founding
Zurich and London agreements between Greece, Turkey and the United
Kingdom, these three states undertook to guarantee the independence,
territorial integrity, security and constitutional structure of the newly
established Republic of Cyprus. Also, the Cyprus Constitution set out that
all governmental agencies and cabinet positions were to be shared between
90
91
92
93
Yasemin Çelik, Contemporary Turkish Foreign Policy, (Westport, Conn.: Praeger,
1999), p. 47.
Meliha Benli Altunıúık and Özlem Tür Kavli, Turkey: Challenges of Continuity and
Changes, (New York: Taylor & Francis Routledge, 2005), p. 110.
Harris Troubled…, p. 95.
Gönlübol, ‘A Short...’, p. 8.
the Greek and Turkish Cypriots in a 70:30 ratio. The ratio in the armed
forces was to be 60:40.94 The Cyprus Constitution set up a sensitive
balance between Turks and Greeks and saw none of them as a minority,
but equal and sovereign owners of the island. Some of the articles of the
Constitution were unalterable because any change in this sensitive balance
was banned. As mentioned, the founding agreements also granted rights
and responsibilities to Greece, Turkey and the former colonial United
Kingdom as the written documents did not trust either side on the island.
The President of the new Republic had to be a Greek Cypriot elected by
Greek Cypriots and the Vice-President a Turkish Cypriot elected by the
Turkish Cypriots with the right to a final veto on fundamental laws passed
by the House of Representatives and on decisions of the Council of
Ministers. The Government was composed of ten ministers (seven for the
Greeks and three for the Turks). The Turkish ministers had to be
nominated for appointment by the Vice-President. Obviously the Zurich
and London agreements and the Constitution did not consider the island as
a Greek island but as a Turkish-Greek island. However, the Greeks saw the
issue in different way and the Enosis supporters in the Greek community
dreamed of a solely Greek island. The Greeks considered the Republic as a
"transitory stage', a "temporary period' which would eventually lead to an
independent Greek state on the island. It was this ambition which caused
the state to fail in Cyprus. First of all, the Turkish Cypriots were de facto
deprived of all their government posts granted to them by the constitution.
The Greeks were placed to all Turkish contingencies in security forces, and
the ultra-nationalist Greeks made it impossible for Turks to fill their posts
in politics and bureaucracy. As a result, the Cypriot state was usurped by
the Greeks through the violation of the constitution. The Turks were unable
to participate in the executive and legislative bodies. Moreover, many
Greeks from Greece were brought to the island for settlement.95
The Greek militants first encroached upon the constitutional rights of
the Turkish Cypriots and tried to change the balance in all Cypriot
institutions. An armed campaign soon began and many in the Turkish
Community were murdered by the Greek radicals. The aim was a mass
change in the demography of the island. The murderers forced the Turks to
immigrate to Turkey in order to make an ethnic cleansing on the island.
After the mixed villages, the Turkish villages were attacked. Despite both
the written agreements and the constitution, murders and rapes caused
inter-communal fighting between the two groups. In Turkish eyes, the
Turkish Cypriots were persecuted by paramilitary Greek groups, who
94
95
Farid Mirbagheri, Cyprus and International Peacemaking, (London:
Hurst&Company, 1998), pp. 12-41; Zaim M. Necatigil, The Cyprus Question and
the Turkish Position in International Law, (Oxford: Oxford University, 1989).
Also see Sedat Laçiner, ‘Cyprus Problem and the European Union-Turkey
Relations’, Journal of Turkish Weekly, 15 June 2009.
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pursued Enosis, union with Greece. In time, thousands of Greek volunteers
came to the island. For Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots, Enosis was
against both international and Cypriot national law, and unacceptable to
them. Turkey preferred to settle the question within NATO, or by direct
negotiation with Greece. However, neither Greece, the UK, the US nor
international organizations, such as NATO and the United Nations (UN)
could stop the clashes. During the course of the events, the international
community as well as Greece and Britain, which were the guarantors of the
Cypriot State and held rights and responsibilities including military
intervention in case of disruption in constitutional order, only preferred to
watch. As the Greek policy of deporting Turks out of the island
occasionally turned into massacres, the UN Peace Force (UNFICYP) was
deployed in the island in 1964. This was the beginning of the never-ending
adventure of the UN in the island. Though the UN arrived at the island, it
neither managed to stop the violence nor was it able to put the rights
granted to Turks into practice. In the meantime, the armament of the
Greeks continued apace. Turkey accused Greece of encouraging the
struggles to annex the island to Greece96 and when the problem could not
be solved by the international community, Turkey advocated the
partitioning of the island (taksim) or a federation of the two parts.97
However, the Greek Cypriots thought they were near victory as the Turks
living in the enclaves were relatively weak economically and militarily.
Therefore, they refused the partition option. When UN peace-keeping
efforts failed, Turkey periodically reaffirmed its right to intervene in the
clashes on Cyprus. Finally, ønönü implied that Turkey would use all the
rights, which the Zurich and London Agreements of 1959 and 1960 gave
Turkey, to stop the ‘genocide’ on the island.98 This meant a military
occupation, and Greece replied that a Turkish invasion would result in
Greece defending Cyprus. The American reaction to the Turkish warning
was both severe and surprising. Turkish statesmen believed Turkey was
one of the most loyal allies of the United States and that it had sacrificed
some of its national interests for NATO.99 In this context, the Johnson
Letter (5 June 1964),100 was a big disappointment for the Turks.101
96
T.C. Diúiúleri Bakanlı÷ı, Turkish Views on the Question of Cyprus, (Ankara:
Turkish Foreign Ministry Report, 1964); Tözün Bahçeli, Greek-Turkish Relations
since 1955, (Boulder and London: Westview Press, 1990).
97
T.C. Diúiúleri Bakanlı÷ı, Turkish View on Cyprus, (Ankara: Turkish Foreign
Ministry Report, 1965), pp. 20-22.
98
Clement Dodd, ‘Turkey and Cyprus’, in David Shankland (ed.), The Turkish
Republic at Seventy-Five Years, (Huntingdon: The Eothen Press, 1999), p. 74.
99
Yavuz, Satılık Müttefik..., pp. 18-19.
100
For the full text see The Middle East Journal, Vol. 20, No. 3, Summer 1966, p. 387;
Hürriyet, 13 January 1966; Cumhuriyet, 15 January 1966; Haluk ùahin, Gece Gelen
Mektup: Türk-Amerikan likilerinde Dönüm Noktası, (The Letter That Came at
Night: The Turning Point in Turkish-American Relations), (østanbul: Cep, 1987).
As Gürel states, ‘the style used in the letter was not so polite.’ At the
time, the letter was described by under Secretary of State George Ball as
‘the most brutal diplomatic note I have ever seen’. Ball characterized it
as ‘the diplomatic equivalent of a time bomb’.102
However, its context was more upsetting than its style.’103 In his letter,
President Johnson warned Turkey not to use the American military aid in
Cyprus:
‘I must tell you in all candor
that the United States could not
agree of any United States supplied
equipment
for
a
Turkish
intervention in Cyprus under
present circumstances.’104
Although the Greek Cypriot stockpiles
were American arms, the US never
complained to Greece about this.105
Moreover, President Johnson threatened
Turkey by saying that if Turkey
intervened in the Cyprus crisis and if as a
result of that action, the Soviet Union
attacked Turkey, neither NATO nor the United States would support or
defend Turkey:
‘(…) Furthermore, a military intervention in Cyprus by Turkey
would lead to a direct involvement by the Soviet Union. I hope you
will understand that your NATO allies have not had a chance to
101
Murat Metin Hakkı, Turkish researcher, has slightly different opinion on the issue.
He argues that the American intervention was not a surprise for ønönü but just the
expected and desired action: “smet nönü was secretly aware that the Turkish army
did not have the military capability to launch a full-scale invasion of the island.
While or doing military preparations, he simultaneously informed Lyndon Johnson
of the Turkish invasion plans. He hoped that the U.S. President would then intervene
diplomatically to stop any Turkish intervention, while presuming the great side to
half attacks against the Turkish Cypriot population” For the details of this argument
see Murat Metin Hakkı, The Cyprus Issue; A Documentary History, 1878-2006, (I.
B. Tauris, 2007), p. 97.
102
Cited in Douglas Brinkley and Richard T. Griffiths, John F. Kennedy and Europe,
(LSU Press, 1999), p. 126.
103
Sükrü Sina Gürel, Tarihsel Boyut çinde Türk Yunan likileri, 1821-1923, (Turkish
Greek Relations in a Historical Dimension, 1821-1923), (Ankara: Ümit Yayıncılık,
1993), p. 58.
104
The Middle..., pp. 386-393.
105
Harry Scott Gibbons, The Genocide Files, (London: Charles Bravos, Publishers,
1997), p. 406.
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consider whether they have an obligation to protect Turkey against
the Soviet Union if Turkey takes a step which results in Soviet
intervention without the full consent and understanding of its NATO
allies.’106
In other words, NATO and the United States were threatening to
abandon Turkey if the Soviet Union invaded. The Johnson letter
represented a complete failure in Turkish foreign policy and the antiTurkish Western attitude was clear proof of the failure of the Turkish
Westernist school in general. As ùahin pointed out, until the letter, Turkey
was one of the rare countries where ‘no one said go home to the
Americans.’107 The letter aroused indignation in the Turkish press. For
example, the daily Cumhuriyet implied that the United States might stop
Turkey by using military force, claiming that after the Greek fleet, the
United States Sixth Fleet had sailed off towards Cyprus.108 The Turkish
public during this crisis perceived the American intervention as a clear sign
of political support for Greece.109 As noted by Halil, ‘the letter created the
most ominous crisis Ankara had to face since the War of Independence110
and the letter was to shake the Turkish faith111 and with the Johnson letter,
Turkish expectations of the American government proved fallacious.112 In
the words of Robinson, even the Americanist Turks were ‘saddened and
puzzled’.113 Moreover, the letter caused a resurgence of Kemalist Western
scepticism. Turkish policy-makers were now aware of how wrong they
were when they set a foreign policy based only on an alliance with the
West while ignoring the East and the Third World. Thus, the letter bitterly
harmed Turkish-American relations even up to the present day. In the
following years, the Cyprus problem shadowed the relations and the
Turkish policy-makers always remembered the American attitude. The
problem also triggered anti-American street demonstrations and a harsh
press campaign led by the Turkish left (including the Kemalist left)
106
The Middle East Journal, Vol. 20, No. 3, Summer 1966, p. 387.
ùahin, Gece..., p. 10.
108
‘Amerika’nın Altıncı Filosuna Mensup Altı Savaú Gemisi Kıbrıs Açıklarında’,
Cumhuriyet (daily, østanbul), 12 June 1964.
109
Milliyet (daily, østanbul), 6, 9, 13 June 1964; Cumhuriyet (daily østanbul), 9-10 June
1964. It is also claimed that one of the factors that had affected Johnson in his ‘proGreek’ letter to ønönü was the Greek lobbying at the White House: ‘Johnson’s 1964
Letter to ønönü and the Greek Lobbying at the White House’, The Turkish Yearbook
of International Relations, XVI, 1974, pp. 45-58.
110
Ali Halil, Atatürkçü Dı Politika ve NATO ve Türkiye (Kemalist Foreign Policy and
NATO and Turkey), (østanbul: Gerçek, 1968), pp. 172-173.
111
ùahin, Gece..., pp. 21-26.
112
Mehmet Gönlübol, ‘NATO and Turkey’, in The Turkish Yearbook of International
Relations, 1971, p. 5.
113
Roderic H. Davison, Turkey, A Short History, Second Edition, (Huntingdon: The
Eothen Press, 1991), p. 161.
107
championed anti-Americanism in these campaigns.114 Thanks to the
campaigns, the Turkish left increased its influence over the foreign policy
matters.
The US’ first aim with the Johnson letter was to stop a possible Turkish
intervention in Cyprus. However, the British diplomats argued that the
domestic considerations in the US also played a crucial role in the writing
of the Johnson Letter. A telegram from the British Embassy in Washington
to the Foreign Office dated August 25, 1964, said:
‘As you will have seen from the full page articles in the New York Times
recently, the Greek-American lobby, here is very active and President
Johnson in no position to throw away votes.’115
As a result, the US reached its aim with the letter116 and Turkey could
not intervene in the clashes in Cyprus117 while the public and the press
forced a sharp response from ønönü. His response stated
‘There are between us a wide divergence of views as to the nature and
basic principles of the NATO… If NATO’s structure is so weak as to give
credit to the aggressor’s allegations, then it means this defect in NATO
needs to be remedied.’118
ønönü also said that the style and context of the letter were rude and
disappointing for Turkey.119 ønönü implied that Turkey was not fully relied
on in NATO by saying ‘a new world to be constructed and in which
Turkey will have its rightful place’. American Ambassador Parker T. Hart
also accepts that the language of the letter was “exceedingly tough”; “I had
of course read this letter before I left Washington. It was it was an
exceedingly tough massage, designed to prevent at all costs direct
hostilities between Greece and Turkey, and it had been a very close
call”.120
114
ùahin, Gece..., p. 25; Mango, Turkey, p. 94; Yılmaz Çetiner, ‘Turkey Turns AntiAmerican’, Atlas, August 1965, pp. 107-108; Gönlübol, ‘A Short...’, p. 9.
115
Gibbons, The Genocide…, p. 238.
116
Burcu Bostano÷lu, Türkiye-ABD likilerinin Politikası (Politics of Turkey-US
Relations), (Ankara: ømge, 1999), p. 444.
117
The American reaction was not the only reason for Turkey’s decision not to
intervene in Cyprus. In these years, Turkey suffered from a shortage of landing craft
and other necessary equipment for a military operation on the island: Dodd, ‘Turkey
and Cyprus’, p. 74.
118
The Middle East Journal, Summer 1966, pp. 386-393.
119
‘ønönü’nün Johnson’a Cevabı’ (ønönü’s Response to Johnson), Milliyet, 14 Ocak
1966.
120
Parker, T. Hart, Two NATO Allies at the Threshold of War: Cyprus, a Firsthand
Account of Crisis Management, 1965-1968, ( Duke University Press, 1990), p. 14.
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The Johnson letter leaked into the Turkish press almost immediately for
domestic consumption and generated profound popular reaction.121 ønönü
accepted of the Washington invitation to discuss the matter in depth yet the
U.S. visit did not stanch the flow of bitter feeling against the U.S. in
Turkey. In the words of Harris “From that time forth, all Turkish
governments would be on the defensive in regard to the American
connection, and memories of the Johnson latter would color popular
impressions of the United States for many years to come”.122
ønönü visited Washington on 22–23 June 1964 amid mounting public
protest against the US, and met with President Johnson. Johnson also
invited Greece’s Premier, George Papandreou to Washington. ønönü and
Papandreou came separately to the White House and both leaders did not
meet in Washington. Johnson acted like a mediator between Turkey and
Greece and ønönü did not object to Johnson’s suggestion that the Turks and
Greeks settle their differences in bilateral talks. The Greek Prime Minister
was more nervous in the summit and bluntly rejected a proposed meeting
with
ønönü.
Greece
defended
that
US
interference in the dispute
was only useful in view of
the UN’s mediation efforts.
The US State Department
hinted that Washington
might no longer be able to
prevent a Turkish military
operation in Cyprus. ønönü
commented in a New York
stopover that nothing could
be settled about Cyprus ‘until the US takes a stand’ for either side or the
other.123 However, the US quickly returned the problem to the UN. The
US’ ‘pro-Greek’ attitude, threatening and rude style along with the
decaying American security guarantees against a possible Soviet attack
naturally disappointed the Turks. The Washington visit did not restore the
damage and the Cyprus problem became worse in the hands of the UN.
Nevertheless ønönü’s U.S. visit can be considered as a success for Turkey
in terms of Cyprus diplomacy; Both Johnson and ønönü obliquely
reaffirmed in their final communiqué the validity of the London and Zurich
121
George S. Harris, Troubled Alliance, Turkish- American Problems in Historical
Perspective, 1945-1971, (Washington D.C.: American Enterprise Institute for Public
Policy Research, 1972), p. 15; Nur Bilge Criss, ‘A Short History of AntiAmericanism and Terrorism: The Turkish Case’, in Joanne Meyerowitz (ed),
History and September 11th, (Temple University Press, 2003, p. 60).
122
Harris, Troubled..., p. 116.
123
‘The Parable of the Blue Beads’, Time, 3 July 1964.
accords, which acknowledged the Turks’ right to intervene in Cyprus.124 It
means that the U.S. indirectly accepted Turkey’s legal rights on the island
although it did not prefer the Turks to use that right.
The US prevented a possible Turkish military operation in Cyprus;
however, neither the UN nor the nation-states could stop the violence on
the island. The U.S.’ pro-Greek attitude brought no gains for the
Americans or NATO in Greece. In the words of Paul Henze “Greek
Cypriots, with clandestine aid from Athens, continued to erode the
Zurich/London agreements.”125
Fighting on the island steadily escalated during the summer of 1964. As
a result of the Greek terrorist attacks, Turkish Cypriots began to move
from isolated, rural areas and mixed villages into enclaves. In June 1964,
the House of Representatives, functioning with only its Greek Cypriot
members, passed a bill establishing the National Guard and the right of
Cypriots to bear arms was limited to the National Guard and to the Cyprus
police. The decision was an obvious breach of the Constitution. In practice,
the Greeks banned the right to bear arms, but only for the Turkish
Cypriots. Worst of all, in June 1964, General Grivas was invited to Cyprus
by Makarios to assume command of the National Guard. The Greeks
formed a rule without the Turkish Cypriots and large numbers of Greek
regular troops were being clandestinely infiltrated into the island. Turkey
had to do something to protect the Turkish civilians and Turkish jets flew
over the island to warn the Greeks. When the Greeks attacked Turkish
people in Erenköy and Mansura, the Turkish air forces intervened to the
fighting and attacked the Greek Cypriot armed groups besieging Turkish
Cypriot villages. Makarios, the ‘President’ of Cyprus, issued an ultimatum
to Turkey after the jet flights and threatened to attack every Turkish village
in Cyprus if the air raids did not stop.126The Greek Air Force fighters also
flew over South Cyprus as a show of force. A possible large-scale Turkish
intervention was expected during these days, yet Turkey withdrew its
forces from the island. With ønönü’s war threat and Turkish jets flying over
the island, the U.N. force in Cyprus was created and the ‘Turkish Cypriots
were saved from immediate extermination under the helpless gaze of the
British troops’.127
During the Cyprus Crisis, for first time since the War of Independence,
Turkey felt itself desperately alone and in need of new friends and support.
Metin Toker, ønönü’s son-in-law, expressed the need for new friends: ‘it is
124
Harris, Troubled…, p. 117.
Paul B. Henze, Turkey’s Political Evolution, Turkish- US Relations and Prospects
for the 21st Century, (Haarelem, NL; SOTA, 2003), p. 67.
126
BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/10/newsid_3037000/30
37898.stm
127
Gibbons, The Genocide…, p. 222.
125
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natural for Turkey to search for strong friendships in the Third World.’128
Now, the desire for change was clear amongst the Kemalists, neoKemalists and leftists. The conservatives and Islamists also favoured an
immediate change. Thus, the Johnson letter raised anti-Americanism and
increased the importance of the neo-Kemalist group on foreign policy.
Moreover, the third effect of the letter initiated a search for new friends in
the international arena. Another effect of the letter was Turkey’s reluctance
to join the new NATO military programs. For instance, Turkey decided not
to join the NATO’s MLF (the Multilateral Force) program and withdrew
its soldiers from the program.129 On 13 January 1965, the US Department
of State announced that Turkey refused to participate in the MLF. Finally,
the fifth result was that foreign policy matters became the centre of
parliamentary debates. Now the governments were not free, as they had
been.
Flexible Response and Turkey
The Jupiter Crisis and the Johnson Letter were both a direct result of
the changing NATO and the US strategy against the Communist Block.
According to President Dwight Eisenhower’s New Look strategy, the US
was ready to respond anywhere to a Soviet-backed conventional threat
with a nuclear strike against the Soviet Union itself. Massive Retaliation
and uncompromising containment policies became a fixed policy during a
period of lessened tensions and American military superiority.130 However,
the development of Soviet long-range
bombers, ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons
and the ability to retaliate against the
American nuclear power dramatically
changed the balance of power. In addition,
with
the
improved
technology
in
communication and transportation, the US
troops became more flexible, quick and
effective since massive retaliation. However,
the threat for Turkey was the same and
Turkish security policies were set up according to Eisenhower and
Truman’s promises to Turkey. In other words, Turkey set its security
policies as if the balance between the Soviets and the US would last
forever, yet President John F. Kennedy’s Flexible Response understanding
128
Metin Toker, ‘Bir Seyahatin Bilançosu’ (Balance of a Trip), Akis (weekly, Turkish),
3 July 1964, p. 7.
129
Baskın Oran (ed.), Türk Dı Politikası (Turkish Foreign Policy), Vol. 1, (østanbul:
øletiúim, 2001), p. 691-692.
130
Stephen E. Ambrose, Rise to Globalism, American Foreign Policy since 1938, (New
York: Penguin Books, 1993), p. 131.
(1961) called for mutual deterrence at strategic, tactical and conventional
levels. Thus, the US was not limited only to nuclear arms. According to the
Turkish politicians the new strategy protected the superpowers almost
completely, but it did not provide total security for Turkey.131
The new strategy required a build-up of American conventional forces
in order to increase the range of options prior to a last resort of nuclear war
and avoid the dangers of nuclear proliferation.132 The new strategy,
however, focused mainly on the Soviet threat to Western Europe and the
risks for Turkey increased. The US security guarantees for Turkey’s
protection from a possible Soviet attack
decreased with the flexible response
strategy. Turkey resisted the new strategy
and only accepted it along with other
members in 1967. The new strategy was
not only a problem for Turkey, but for the
other allies as well. There were obvious
conflicts, even on matters of basic
strategy. France, Italy and West Germany
objected to the US’ new strategy. The
US’ MLF concept of a 25-vessel fleet of
Polaris-missile-equipped merchant ships,
manned by mixed crews from NATO
nations was the only specific proposal to
ease the tension among the NATO
øsmet ønönü, 1961
members.133 ‘The MLF was founded on
the belief that Western Europeans wanted greater influence over nuclear
weapons policy’;134 however, it did not satisfy the Europeans. In addition
to the bilateral problems, the European opposition encouraged Turkey for a
more ‘independent’ policy and Turkey decided not to join the MLF, though
it had sent soldiers to the Ricketts ship. The Turkish soldiers returned
home in January 1965. The decision was a direct response to the Johnson
Letter and the US’ new strategy.
In conclusion, the problem of mistrust between Turkey and NATO (and
the US) vividly appeared in the Flexible Response Strategy era. As a result,
the coming years would be more problematic with the NATO and forced
Turkey to search for more friends apart from the NATO allies.
131
Nasuh Uslu, The Turkish-American Relationship Between 1947-2003, (Nova, 2003),
p. 82.
132
John Lewis Gaddis, Strategies of Containment: A Critical Appraisal of Postwar
American National Security Policy, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982), pp.
216-217.
133
‘NATO’s Dilemma’, Time, 20 November 1964.
134
John W. Young, ‘Killing the MLF? The Wilson Government and Nuclear Sharing in
Europe, 1964-66’, Diplomacy & Statecraft, June 2003, Vol. 14, No. 2, p. 295.
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Turkey’s Economic Difficulties and Decreasing American
Aid
Another source of problems in Turkish-American relations was the
issue of aid. After the Military Coup, the junta regime faced economic
problems. The coup leaders argued that the DP heritage was catastrophic
and the need for foreign aid and credits was obvious. Cemal Gürsel said
that foreign debt was too high to repay and Gürsel’s prescription for the
foreign debt was increasing US aid and credit:
‘Our foreign debt is so high and I do not know how we can pay such a
debt and how we can restore our prestige in world135… However, it should
not be forgotten that when we repay our debts the development of the
Turkish economy and military, which are vital in the NATO system, will
be badly affected. Regarding a possible rise in American aid, the US may
increase its aid to Turkey as far as it understands us, and it should increase
its aid.’136
Gürsel further claimed that Turkey needed large amounts of and longerterm credit in order to fulfil its duties in the NATO defence. In this context,
Turkey demanded a $400 million dollar credit from the US in 1960,
however, the American credit decreased from $167 million (1959) to $103
million (1960). When øsmet ønönü became Prime Minister in 1961,
Turkey’s foreign debt was about $1.5 billion. The first thing ønönü did
when he became Premier was meet with the American Ambassador,
Raymond Hare, and he asked him to increase American economic aid to
Turkey.137 Turkey repeated its aid and credit demands during US VicePresident L. B. Johnson’s Ankara visit on 26 August 1962. Both
Ambassador Hare and Vice-President Johnson said that they fully
understood Turkey’s immediate needs, and promised to act to help Ankara.
As a result of these efforts, the US economic aid to Turkey rapidly
increased from $126 million (1961) to $237 million (1963). However, the
trend reversed in 1964 and the US aid to Turkey dramatically decreased to
$148 million. In the following years, the level of American aid continued
around this amount and caused economic problems in Turkey. The
declining American aid also became one of the significant factors in
cooling US-Turkey relations in the 1960s.
135
Resmi Gazete (Official Gazette), No. 10556, 20 July 1960, p. 1784.
Resmi Gazete (Official Gazette), No. 10558, 23 July 1960, p. 1796; Sander, TürkAmerikan…, pp. 204-205.
137
Sander, Türk-Amerikan…, p. 205.
136
Changes in US Aid to Turkey
1959–1964
Year
US Dollars / Million
1959
167
1960
103
1961
126
1962
188
1963
237
1964
148
Apart from the aid problems, the ‘Chrome Crisis’ worsened the
economic relations. Chromium was one of the most important export
goods for Turkey and the US was a major importer of Turkish chrome.
However, the Soviet Union was dumping its chrome export materials in
1963, and, like many countries, US importers preferred the Soviet chrome
instead of the Turkish.138 The problem could not be solved in the bilateral
negotiations and thanks to the shift of the American chrome trade from
‘Turkish ally’ to the ‘communist Soviet Union’, Turkey faced great
economic problems after 1963. The growing economic disagreements and
declining American aid, along with the political crisis, continued to
undermine Turkish-American relations.
The Search for New Friends and the Response of the Nonaligned States
With the failure of the NATO-sponsored negotiations between the
Greeks and Turks, Turkey decided that the United States and Europe were
pro-Greek in the Cyprus matter, realising that the anti-Turkish biases were
still in the minds of the Europeans and the Americans. Thus, Turkey turned
towards the non-aligned countries for political support over the Cyprus
problem, and, as the issue was now a topic at the UN General Assembly,
the non-aligned states were in the majority. Therefore, Turkey needed to
persuade these countries to win UN support for its case.139 However, when
138
139
Ibid., p. 207-208.
In particular, leftist-Kemalists argued that Turkey needed the Third World to solve
the Cyprus problem: Ibrahim Camli, ‘Kıbrıs Meselesinin Çözümü Üçüncü Dünyanın
øçindedir’ (The Solution for Cyprus Issue is in the Third World), Yön, No. 108, 23
April 1965, p. 7.
$ &"
the UN General Assembly adopted a series of resolutions detrimental to
Turkish interests in March-December 1964, which limited Turkish rights in
Cyprus, Turkey realised the position it was in. The number of supporters
for the Turkish side in the UN was just six, and four of them were CENTO
members.140
As discussed, both the Atatürk and ønönü governments had focused on
relations with the West and did not attach enough importance to the
Muslim world or the developing nations in Asia and Africa; the Turks had
no interest in their Middle Eastern neighbours and the Third World. A lack
of experience in the region and the avoidance of regional affairs in early
Republican foreign policy enabled successive Turkish governments to not
only pursue but to justify this course.141 Further, Turkey had declared that
it was against the non-alignment movement at Bandung and had supported
Israel against the Arabs during the ønönü period. However, Greece had
better relations with these countries. While Turkey acted as the
representative of the capitalist-West, the Greeks had given full support for
the non-aligned states in Bandung. Likewise, Makarios, the Greek
President of Cyprus, was one of the most active leaders amongst the nonaligned countries. Therefore, Turkey’s attempts to persuade the nonaligned states failed. For example, the Cairo Conference (1964) decided
against Turkey and in favour of the Greeks, with Egypt’s Nasser leading
the opposition against Turkey and the Arab and Afro-Asia group following
him.142 Indeed, in his memoirs, Turkish Ambassador Semih Günver
stresses that the non-aligned states did not consider Turkey a member of
their world143 and the only Arab-Muslim country that gave support to
Turkey was Algeria, despite Turkey supporting the French against the
Algerians at the UN in the 1950s. Thus, Turkey bitterly realised its isolated
position because of its alliance with the West. It is true; Turkey had carried
out an isolation policy in the Atatürk and ønönü periods, yet in those years
Turkey had chosen isolation and neutrality, and now the world did not
want Turkey. The Cairo Conference brought home the fact that Turkey had
no time to lose in gaining the hearts of the Muslim, African and Asian
states. For the neo-Kemalists, Turkey had to make efforts to gain the
support of the socialist states as well. Ironically, the neo-Kemalists had
attacked the DP governments for departing from a Kemalist national pact
course, which caused the Cyprus Crisis to take such an unfavourable
140
Gönlübol, ‘A Short...’, p. 11.
Bilge Criss and Pinar Bilgin, ‘Turkish Foreign Policy toward the Middle East’,
Journal, No. 1, January 1997, p. 5.
142
Milliyet (daily, østanbul), 12-13 October 1964, Cumhuriyet (daily, østanbul), 12
October 1964.
143
Semih Günver, Tanınmayan Meslek: Anılar ve Portreler, (Unknown Occupation:
Memoirs), (Ankara: A.Ü. SBF., 1982), pp. 156-159.
141
path.144 In reality, the DP ideology was not solely responsible; the early
Republican ideology had also played a significant role in Turkey’s
isolation, as the reactions of the non-aligned states were a declaration of
the failure of ideological foreign policy considerations. This contradiction
undermined the neo-Kemalist ideological framework in future years as
well.
Following the Turkish disappointment in Cairo, the Soviet Union
renewed its offers to improve relations. Now Turkey was ready for such an
improvement and succeeded in changing the Soviet position over the
Cyprus issue. After his Moscow visit, Erkin, Turkish Foreign Minister,
declared that there was a similarity and mutual understanding between
Turkey and the Soviet Union on the Cyprus problem.145 A cultural
agreement was also signed, and both countries declared that they would
respect each other’s territorial integrity. All these developments met with
general approval in the Turkish press146 that saw Turkey gaining new
friends in addition to the West. Erkin accepted the radical shift in Turkish
foreign policy and argued that it was a direct and natural result of the
change in international politics and based on the Kemalist principles.147
Turkey also focused on the Muslim world, starting a diplomatic
campaign at the World Islamic Conference and received clear support on
the Cyprus issue. These victories were followed by Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Republic (UAR), increasing their diplomatic representation in
Turkey to the ambassadorial level.148
ønönü’s Cyprus and ‘pacifist’ NATO policies were severely criticised,
not only by the leftist groups, but also the conservative JP, which was
viewed as a neo-Democratic party. Despite the ønönü government’s rigid
position over the Cyprus crisis, the JP accused the government of being
timid on this issue. Nevertheless, the JP gave support to the government at
international platforms, viewing the problem as a ‘national issue’.149 On
the other hand, The Islamist Nation Party (Millet Partisi) severely
criticised both the RPP and moderate neo-Democrats over the Cyprus
crisis, accusing them of making co-operation with the ‘imperialist’
144
‘TIP Dıú Politikayı Bildiriyle Eleútirdi’ (TIP Criticised Foreign Policy with a
Declaration), Milliyet, 14 October 1964.
145
TBMM Tutanak Dergisi, Vol. 33, 1964, 12th session, 1, p. 533.
146
Metin Toker, ‘Moskova Ziyareti’nin Anlamı’, (The Meaning of the Moscow Visit),
Akis, 30 October 1964, p. 7, Cumhuriyet, 26 October 1964; Milliyet, 30 October
1964.
147
TBMM Tutanak Dergisi, Vol. 33, 1964, 12th session, 1, p. 533.
148
Aykan, Turkey’s, p. 57.
149
Hükümet Buhranı, Hükümet Tekili ve Kıbrıs Olayları Karısında AP, (JP Before
the Government Crisis, Government Formation and the Cyprus Events), The JP
Executive Committee Report, AP Genel Merkezi Neúriyatı, No. 4, Ankara, 1964, pp.
25-52.
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West.150 The criticism forced the ønönü government to resign. It was
replaced by the Suat Hayri Ürgüplü government on 21 February 1965,
which lasted until 22 October 1965. The Programme for the Ürgüplü
government of 26 February 1965, implied that Turkey had alternatives to
NATO:
‘Our NATO membership and loyalty to the common security
system never means we have to support a group (zümre) in foreign
policy (…) We sincerely want to improve our relations with the
Soviet Union. Good relations with the Soviet Union is a subject that
we attach great importance.’151
Moreover, Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hasan Iúık visited Moscow
and Peking to underline the policy change in Turkish foreign policy.152 The
Turkish Prime Minister, Suat Hayri Ürgüplü, also visited Moscow in 1955,
and the Soviet Foreign Minister paid a visit to Ankara in the same year.
Furthermore, Turkey refused to join the Multilateral Force within the
NATO proposed by the US.153 Another foreign policy initiative of the
Ürgüplü government, which showed the shift in foreign policy
understanding, was the ‘seven goodwill delegations’ affair. Turkey not
only made efforts to persuade the Soviet Union and China to get
diplomatic support for Cyprus, but also sent seven ‘goodwill delegations’
to the Asian, African and Latin American countries to explain Turkey’s
position in the Cyprus problem. Isik, in his speech in Parliament, declared
that the main aim of these delegations were not limited to the Cyprus issue,
but the delegations would search for ‘opportunities to establish a longlasting co-operation’ with these countries.154
The Marxist propaganda’s impact was clear on the new Government,
yet the radical differences in the programme cannot be explained in only
ideological terms. It was obvious that the main factor was Western
attitudes towards Turkey on the Cyprus issue and Turkey’s isolated
position in the world. Indeed, when Resolution 2077 was adopted at the
UN on 18 December 1965, Turkey once more realised its isolation: fortyseven African states and almost all Arab states (except Lebanon, Syria and
UAR out of fifteen) voted against the Turkish argument.155 After the
150
MP 1965 Seçim Beyannamesi (The NP Election Declaration), MP Head Quarter,
Ankara, 1965.
151
Kazım Öztürk, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Hükümetleri ve Programları, (The
Governments of Turkish Republic and Their Programmes), (østanbul: Ak Yayınları,
1968), p. 601-602.
152
Frank Tachau, ‘Turkish Foreign Policy: Between east and West’, Middle East
Review, Vol. 17, No. 3, 1985, p. 25.
153
Gerger, Türk Dı..., pp. 94-99.
154
The Bulletin of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, No. 5, 1965, p. 637.
155
Cumhuriyet, 18 September 1965.
shocking decision, the Turkish press and many parliamentarians had
argued a structural change in foreign policy.156 As mentioned, the reason
for the shift was not solely ideological, and the real needs forced Turkey
into a different foreign policy, yet the radical left benefited most from
these developments and tried to manipulate Turkish foreign policy towards
the Third World and the socialist bloc.157
THE 1965 ELECTIONS AND NEW TURKISH FOREIGN
POLICY:
NEO-DEMOCRATS VS. NEO-KEMALISTS
After the 1965 vote of the General Assembly over the Cyprus Crisis,
Turkey understood that its previous attitude towards the Third World states
had systematically alienated it from this influential group at the UN.158 As
a result, almost all ideological groups focused on a new foreign policy
framework and even ønönü promised a more diverse foreign policy.159 In
addition to the leftist-Kemalists, neo-Democrats, Islamists and the ultraTurkists made efforts to form their own foreign policy ideological
framework. In this environment, the 1965 elections put an end to the
military-supported governments as the Justice Party (JP) came to power
with 52.87 per cent of the votes. The RPP could only get 28.75 per cent of
the votes.160 For the Kemalists, the JP’s election victory meant the return of
the DP: ‘The DP’s legacy continues. The 27 May Revolution attempted to
demolish it, yet it is now understood that we returned all the way back.’161
Leading leftist-Kemalist Avcıo÷lu, viewed the election results as a counterrevolution against Kemalism.162 The second effect of the elections was the
confirmation of leftist-Kemalism’s victory over Kemalist Orthodoxy. It
can be said that the 1965 election crystallised the differences between the
political groups.
TBMM Tutanak Dergisi, Vol. 2, 28th session, 27 November 1965, pp. 16-82; TBMM
Tutanak Dergisi, Vol. 40, 1965, 115th session, 1, p. 545; Cumhuriyet, 19-20
September 1965.
157
Gönlübol, ‘A Short..., p. 12.
158
Deniz Atiye Erden, Turkish Foreign Policy Through the UN, unpublished PhD
thesis, (University of Massachusetts, 1974), p. 143.
159
CHP Söz Veriyor, CHP 1965 Genel Seçimleri Bildirisi, (RPP Promises, RPP 1965
General Elections Declaration), (Ankara: CHP, 1965).
160
Feroz Ahmad and Bedia Turgay Ahmad, Türkiye’de Çok Partili Politikanın
Açıklamalı Kronolojisi, 1945-1971, (The Explained Chronology of the Multi-Party
Era in Turkey, 1945-1971), (Ankara: Bilgi, 1976), p. 299.
161
Fethi Naci, ‘Seçimlerden Sonra’ (After the Elections), Yön, No. 133, 15 October
1965, p. 6.
162
Dogan Avcioglu, ‘Yeni Dönem’ (New Era), Yön, No. 134, 22 October 1965, p. 3.
156
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Leftist-Kemalism’s Victory over the Traditional Kemalism
The JP was not the only victors in the 1965 elections. The TIP, the main
representative of the Kemalist-left, also succeeded in entering the
Parliament, receiving 15 seats. The left’s success and the neo-Kemalists
opposition to the ønönü-type Kemalism caused changes in the RPP as well.
The Bülent Ecevit-led group rebelled against the ønönü administration by
claiming that the RPP’s ideology must be a democratic, leftist Kemalism
and ønönü recognised the leftist character of the party. The deviation from
Kemalist Orthodoxy resulted in a split in the party and 48 RPP
Parliamentarians and Senators accused the RPP of being socialist instead
of being Kemalist. They resigned in order to establish the Republican
Thrust Party (RTP, Cumhuriyetçi Güven Partisi) under the leadership of
Turhan Feyzio÷lu. The foundation of the RTP underscored the leftist
character of the Republican People’s Party.
Moreover, in this period, the political parties mushroomed and the
differences between the ideological groups became clearly distinguished.
The resurgence of the Islamists, Turkists, ultra-Turkists, Leftists, Marxists,
Kemalists-leftists (RPP, TIP), Kemalist-traditionalists (RTP), Democrats163
(DP) and neo-Democrats (JP) increased the political polarisation in
Turkey. Unlike previous periods, all these groups focused on foreign
policy matters and saw these problems as the main pillars of their ideology.
The real struggle was between the neo-Kemalists and the neo-Democrats;
however, the tension caused by the political polarisation limited the
163
The 26 former Democrat parliamentarians established a new party called the
Democratic Party.
governments in foreign policy implementation and would create a terror
environment in 1970s Turkey. The TIP’s victory and the swing to the left
in the RPP regime increased ideological polarisation.
The Return of the Neo-Democrats: JP’s Multi-Dimensional
Foreign Policy164
In the wake of the coup, several parties like the Justice Party (Adalet
Partisi, JP) and the New Turkey Party (Yeni Türkiye Partisi, NTP) were
formed to secure the DP legacy, and the moderate conservative JP captured
most of the DP votes. Although the JP could not declare that it was the
successor of the DP because of the NUC, it advocated policies similar to
those of the DP: economic
Cemal Gürsel assigning the mandate to
liberalism, conservatism in
form government to Demirel
politics, close co-operation
with the United States
against communism in
foreign policy and more
freedom
in
religious
matters. During the first
years (1961–1964), the
RPP’s etatism and the JP’s
liberalism
were
conflicting.
The
JP
benefited from the failures
of the weak ønönü
coalition governments, and
under Süleyman Demirel’s leadership, the JP gained a victory in the
October 1965 elections. The JP attracted support from shopkeepers, small
business circles, artisans, workers and the peasantry. The young party
received 52.87 per cent of the votes, while the RPP gained only 28.75 per
cent of the votes.165
The people’s reaction to the military coup and the RPP policies were
clear. However, the JP did not perceive the election victory as revenge
against the Republican elite. As neo-Democrats, they knew the power of
164
For Demirel’s own ideas on his foreign policy, see Cüneyt Arcayürek, Cüneyt
Arcayürek Açıklıyor 5: Demirel Dönemi, 12 Mart Darbesi, 1965-1971, (Cüneyt
Arcayürek Explains 5: The Demirel Period, 12 March Coup, 1965-1971), (Ankara:
Bilgi, 1993), p. 125. For a comprehensive study on the Justice Party, see Levi
Avner, The Justice Party of Turkey, 1961-1977, PhD thesis, the Hebrew University
of Jerusalem, 1983.
165
For the details of the figures and the elections, see Shaw and Shaw, History…, pp.
425-426; Ahmad, The Making..., pp. 138-139; Ahmad and Ahmad, Türkiye’de..., p.
299; J. Landau, Radical Politics in Modern Turkey, (Leiden: 1974), pp. 247-264.
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the army and the bureaucracy and they were cautious not to provoke the
military or the etatist-Republican elite, they even claimed that they were
the only true Kemalists who can implement ‘real’ Kemalist policies.166 For
them, their priorities were the restoration of the liberal economy and
political structure during these years which were considered the first stage
to full civilian government. From 1965 to 1970, the JP tried to implement
its liberal economic and political program. The average growth rate in
Turkey from 1965–1969 was around 8 per cent.
Since the 1960 coup, it was the first time a single party had a majority
in Parliament; however, the Kemalist elite, bureaucracy and the rising
leftist opposition did not allow the full implementation of JP policies, as
the 1961 Constitution weakened governmental powers vis-à-vis the public
and opposition. The Kemalist-left in particular enjoyed this. A growing
urban workers and large number of students became more active in
politics. The masses were very interested in economic and foreign policy
issues. With the growing economic gap between the rich and poor the
ideological polarization became more apparent. The leftist opposition
harshly criticized the JP’s relatively liberal economic policies calling them
‘capitalist and imperialist policies’. For the leftist opposition, the JP was
one of the collaborators of Western imperialism in Turkey. The opposition
also organized mass meetings and urged the Government to leave NATO
and form good relations with the Communist Bloc. In addition to the leftist
opposition, the Islamist and Turkist opposition were growing against the
JP’s moderate policies.
The Ideological Framework of the Justice Party’s Foreign
Policy
Unlike the country’s former charismatic leaders, like Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk, Adnan Menderes etc., Süleyman Demirel (born November 1,
1924) was an unglamorous technocrat of peasant origin. Demirel rose from
a traditional and conservative village of Isparta province (øslamköy) to
become a leading water expert. He served as an adviser to former Prime
Minister Adnan Menderes. Though perceived as a conservative and even
religious man, Demirel was a pragmatic rather than a fiery political
leader.167 Although Demirel cultivated a pragmatic and technocratic image
for the young JP, the party inherited the DP’s identification with right-wing
populism, liberalism in economic issues and conservatism in social life.
166
Süleyman Demirel’s Speech, ‘Adalet Partisi’nin Kuruluúunun 5. Yılına Girerken’,
(When the JP is 5 Years-Old), Zafer (daily), 11 February 1965. The Times argued
Demirel had to persuade the army to continue: cited in Zafer (daily), 16 February
1965.
167
Don Paretz, The Middle East, (London: Westport, 1994), p. 188.
Similar to the DP, the JP’s foreign policy orientation was based on Cold
War assumptions, nationalism, political conservatism, economic liberalism
and pro-Westernism. Also, like the DP, the Justice Party was the follower
of the Ottomanist school in foreign policy. It aimed for good relations with
the Middle East and West, and was against isolationism. As an extension
of the Ottomanist Turkish-Islam Synthesis idea, it pursued good relations
with the Muslim and the Turkish world as well. The JP tried to apply this
ideological orientation into Turkish foreign policy as long as the army
allowed.
Another feature of the JP’s foreign policy understanding was that
economy was as important as security. As mentioned in the JP programme,
for Demirel, foreign policy should support the economic development
programmes of Turkey.168 The JP accepted a large role for state enterprises
in a mixed economy understanding, yet it also encouraged the development
of a stronger private sector. Demirel governments also encouraged foreign
direct investments in Turkey.
Despite similarities with the DP, neo-Democrats did not believe they
could rely solely on the United States for security issues, therefore, unlike
the DP, the JP did not defend an absolute pro-American stance; however, it
was still Americanist and advocated closer relations with the United
States.169 In the words of Mango, despite the ideological similarities
between the DP and the JP, ‘the JP government did not prevent the
emergence of a new look in Turkish foreign policy.’170 Second, unlike the
neo-Kemalists, the JP continued to perceive communism as the greatest
threat to Turkish society and security.171 As has been seen, the ønönü and
Ürgüplü governments had used the Soviet factor to counter-balance ‘the
pro-Greek’ American attitude in the Cyprus issue. However, the JP
programme declared a new card: the Muslim world. The programme also
aimed to improve relations with the UN and the Third World countries.172
This foreign policy principle was a natural extension of the JP’s neoDemocratic ideology. As a conservative, religious and capitalist party, the
168
Kazım Öztürk, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Hükümetleri ve Programları, (The
Governments of the Turkish Republic and Their Programmes), (østanbul: Ak, 1968),
p. 665.
169
Nasuh Uslu, ‘1947’den Günümüze Türk-Amerikan øliúkilerinin Genel Portresi’,
(The General Portrait of Turkish-American Relations Since 1947), Avrasya
Dosyası, Vol. 6, No. 2, Summer 2000, p. 209.
170
Mango, Turkey, p. 96.
171
‘Solun Ardı Komunizm’ (There is Communism behind the Left), Yeni stanbul, 13
January 1965; ‘Komunizmi Buldu÷unuz Yerde Ezin, AP Komunizmin Karúısında’
(Destroy Communism When You See, JP Against Communism), Son Havadis, 13
June 1965; ‘Süleyman Demirel: Vatandaú Aúırı Soldan ùikayetçidir’ (Süleyman
Demirel: People are not Happy with the Leftist Radicalism), Zafer, 16 June 1965.
172
Öztürk, Türkiye..., p. 663.
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JP’s anti-Soviet attitude was understandable. Nevertheless, the fact was
that the United States had let Turkey down, and to balance the United
States, the JP government looked to Europe. The EC was seen as the new
source of political and financial support. As a
result, the JP championed Turkey’s integration
Prime Minister
with Western Europe. As Teveto÷lu, a leading
Süleyman Demirel
JP member, stated, the JP believed that
integration with Europe was the only solution to
Turkey’s security and development problems in
a Cold War environment. 173 The JP, unlike the
leftist-Kemalists, could not give up Westernism,
because the West, for the JP, was not only a
foreign policy choice but a guaranty of its
existence inside. For them, integration with the
West was the only way to stop the Kemalist
elite from dominating the political system. In other words, though the JP
was more cautious about the West, it had little choice but to look towards
it.
The JP never disavowed the principle of secularism, yet it also
attempted to promote Turkey’s relations with the Muslim states, which
Turkey had neglected since the Mustafa Kemal era, in order to balance
Turkey’s dependency on the Western bloc. The JP’s moderate Islamic
ideology also played a crucial role and made such a relation durable. The
JP also made efforts to improve relations with the other Third World
countries; however, Demirel did not consider these countries to be an
alternative to the West, arguing that Turkey had to maintain good relations
with the United States, Europe, Muslim countries and the Third World as
he once asked:
‘What would Turkey do any taking her place with the Third
World or among the socialist countries? What interest would she
have in it? Turkey’s economic interests, her political interests, her
defence requirements due to her geopolitical location and
importance are in the policy she is pursuing today.’174
Inside, like the DP, the newly emerged JP also promoted tolerance of
the open expression of traditional Islamic understanding. The rise of
traditional Islam in Turkey ultimately affected Turkey’s relations with the
Muslim countries.
173
Fethi Teveto÷lu, Dı Politika Görüümüz (Our Foreign Policy Perspective),
(Ankara: Ajans Türk Matbaası, 1963).
174
Demirel cited in David Kushner, ‘Ataturk’s Legacy: Westernism in Contemporary
Turkey’, in Jacob M. Landau (ed.), Ataturk and Modernization of Turkey, (Leiden:
E. J. Brill, 1984), pp. 235-236.
In brief, Demirel’s balanced foreign policy was multi-dimensional
(Çok Yönlü/Boyutlu Dı Politika). Moreover, similar to the Democrats’
foreign policy, the JP focused on economic issues and perceived economic
development as an inseparable part of foreign policy. The 1965 Party
Programme declared that Turkey’s foreign policy must contribute to
Turkish foreign policy.175 The difference between the neo-Kemalists and
the JP was that the JP, like the DP, was economy-minded and more
pragmatic. These economic considerations also motivated the JP for
economic integration within the European Community.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JP’S MULTIDIMENSIONAL FOREIGN POLICY
Despite the resurgence of leftist-Kemalism and army pressures during
the period 1961–1973, the Democrats’ successor, the JP, won the majority
in all elections, either by itself or with the NTP (New Turkey Party).
However, the Justice Party was prevented from forming a government until
1965.
Instead,
ønönü
formed a series of weak
coalitions.
Furthermore,
even though the JP won
the majority of votes itself
and formed its own
independent governments
in 1965 and 1969, it was
effectively prevented from
exercising full authority by
the well planned strategies
of the radical wing of the
RPP.176 The Court of
Constitution, established
by the 1960 coup leaders, also blocked much of the JP legislation and apart
from these obstacles; the bureaucracy was very reluctant to carry out JP
policies. Moreover, the JP was aware that the real power was in the army’s
hands, and was very cautious in its relations with the military and its
supporters, namely the Kemalist bureaucracy.177 Thus, although the JP was
175
1965 Adalet Partisi Parti Programı (1965 Justice Party Programme), (Ankara: AP,
1965).
176
Kemal H. Karpat, ‘The Military, the State, and Politics’, in Metin Heper and Ahmet
Evin (eds.), State, Democracy and the Military, Turkey in the 1980s, (Berlin and
New York: Walter de Gruyter, 1988), pp. 137-158, p. 143.
177
Avner Levi, ‘The Justice Party, 1961-1980’, in Metin Heper and Jacob M. Landau
(eds.), Political Parties and Democracy in Turkey, (London and New York: I.B.
Tauris, 1991), pp. 134-151, p. 145; Avner Levi, The Justice Party of Turkey, 1961-
$ &"
in power, the army, the Kemalist elite and the bureaucracy still had much
influence, as called the ‘hidden power’ by the JP.178 A final decision was
taken by the Kemalist-elitist-Jacobean bureaucracy, the intelligentsia and
Army. Süleyman Demirel frequently complained about this structure,
calling it çoklu idare (government by many) and claimed that with such a
constitutional structure it was impossible to govern properly. An anti-JP
coalition used Kemalism to attack the liberal policies as Demirel accused
anti-capitalists and leftists in the Kemalist institutions of using Kemalism
to mask their real aims and interests and to prevent the government from
implementing reforms.179 Demirel increased defence spending and gave
clear support to the Army in many issues, yet military leaders remained
suspicious of his party because of its roots in the DP and the JP’s image of
being religious and traditional.
Secularism vs. Pragmatism? Relations with the Islamic
World
Thanks to Turkey’s isolation in the international arena, the Cyprus
Problem and the JP’s cultural-ideological orientations, the JP began
restructuring Turkey’s policy vis-à-vis Muslim states. This shift was
significant because for the first time in the republican Turkish history, a
political party advocated in its party programme the Arab arguments
against the West and Israel in the Middle East.180 As has been seen, Turkey
had strictly refused to join any conference, meeting, or organisation based
on common religious or Islamic-Ottoman cultural values during the
Atatürk period, and similarly ønönü, the 27 May and Ürgüplü governments
had never seen Islamic solidarity as an alternative or a card to use against
the West.181 Under these circumstances it was understandable that no Arab
countryside with Turkey in December 1965 when the Cyprus question was
put to the rote at the U.S. General Assembly.182
However, now the JP perceived the Ottoman culture and Islam as an
inseparable element of Turkish social and political life, claiming Turkey’s
indifferent attitude to the Eastern world was damaging Turkey’s national
interests.183 As a result, Turkey initiated a diplomatic campaign focusing
1977, unpublished PhD thesis, the Hebrew University (Jerusalem, Israel), 1983;
Arcayürek, Cüneyt..., pp. 89-95.
178
Cumhuriyet (daily, østanbul), 25 August 1966.
179
Milliyet, 6 July 1969.
180
Öztürk, Türkiye..., p. 67.
181
Kemal Kirisçi, ‘Turkey and the Muslim Middle East’, in Alan Makovsky and Sabri
Sayari (eds.), Turkey’s New World, Changing Dynamics in Turkish Foreign Policy,
(Washington: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 2000), pp. 39-58.
182
Kürkçüo÷lu, p. 20.
183
TBMM Tutanak Dergisi, Vol. 2, 28. Session, 27 November 1965, pp. 16-82.
on the Muslim states and the other Third World countries. For instance,
high level meetings were arranged with the leaders of influential Muslim
states, like Iran and Pakistan, and Turkish representatives were sent to
attend various meetings which included non-aligned Third World
countries’ and Islamic states’.184
According to Demirel, the main principles of Turkish foreign policy in
his term would be:
a. Seeking additional measures and guarantees,
b. Searching for new ways and political development,
c. To find new support.185
Turkey had strictly refused to join any conference or meeting based on
common religion and cultural values as the Kemalist reforms aimed at a
complete break with the Ottoman past. However, the experience of the
1960s proved that Ottoman culture and Islam were inseparable elements of
Turkish social life and foreign policy. The successes of the DP and JP
underlined the failure of the Westernist elite and the Cyprus crisis showed
Turkey’s indifferent attitude to the Eastern world was harming its national
interests. Thus, even the foreign ministry bureaucracy, the champion of
Westernism in Turkey for centuries, began to accept that Turkey was not
only a European country but also an Asian, Middle Eastern and developing
Muslim country. A senior Ministry official, Hamit Batu, in an article
published by the Turkish Foreign Affairs Ministry accepted that:
‘Turkey was admitted into the European Community because of
its geopolitical and strategic situation. It is the only Muslim member
of that community. It was affiliated with another culture. Its position
in the European Community cannot be regarded as strong...
Because of its past and present social personality, Turkey occupies
a certain position in the eyes of the Asian and African countries, and
should aim at maintaining it. This Asian-African policy should not
be pursued only on a temporary basis to gain support for certain
political causes. It should be pursued on a permanent basis to gain
the ‘friendship’ and ‘intimate concern’ of the Asian and African
countries.’186
184
Mahmut Bali Aykan, ‘The OIC and Turkey’s Cyprus Cause’, in Turkish Yearbook of
International Relations, (Ankara University), 1995, Vol. XXV, p. 51.
185
Arcayürk, Cüneyt..., p. 125.
186
Hamit Batu, ‘Turkey’s Foreign Policy’, Bulletin of the Turkish Foreign Affairs
Ministry, No. 6, March 1965, pp. 21-25. For Baykan, Batu’s article is historical and
shows a remarkable change in the official understanding.
$ &"
The Ministry’s approach was closer to the JP’s foreign policy because
diplomats, unlike the neo-Kemalists, did not see the Third World or the
communist world as an alternative to NATO. For them, Turkey’s NATO
membership was not an obstacle while the leftist-Kemalists argued that
Turkey’s NATO membership prevented good relations with the rest of the
world. Despite the change in the Ministry’s approach, the impact of the
traditional Westernism also continued among the diplomats. Ambassador
økizer reveals this mode of thinking in his memoirs:
‘The only thing I can recall about Ambassador Olcay, Turkey’s
ambassador to India, was that he was a radical admirer of the
Western world. I do not know what the reason was: The missionary
school he attended or the family roots? He was always disparaging
the Asian nations. For example, once he confessed that the
Pakistanis sicken him. For him the Indians were also disgusting…
For instance he avoided shaking the hands of Indians.’187
Under light of the above information it can be argued that the JP’s new
foreign policy indicated a clear departure from the traditional approach.
Though international developments forced a new way, the JP’s warm
feelings about the Muslim world could not be explained by only referring
to external factors because the JP was referring to Muslim states as
‘Turkey’s brother countries’ and declared that one of its main aims was to
improve Turkey’s relations with the Muslim states in the Middle East and
Africa.188
Turkey’s practical aim was clear; to get support of the Muslim
countries against Greece in a platform where the Greeks were not
represented and thus to counter-balance the Greek propaganda in the West
and the UN.189 Like Turkey, in these years the Arabs were also upset with
the West’s attitude vis-à-vis the Arabs and Israel in the Palestinian
question and were seeking to establish an Islamic organisation to benefit
from the religious solidarity. King Faisal of Saudi Arabia led the attempt
to create political co-operation and solidarity based on the common Islamic
values and to ensure Turkey’s attendance at a future Islamic conference
upholding such an idea.190 For the Kemalists, this obviously would violate
187
M. Yılmaz økizer, u Bizim Garip Hariciye ve Dı Politika, Anılar, Olaylar, (Our
Strange Foreign Ministry and Foreign Policy, Memoirs and Events), (østanbul:
Sucuo÷lu Matbaası, n.d.), p. 73. Olcay then became the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
188
Hükümet Prograıi, (Government’s Programme), (Ankara: Basbakanlik Devlet
Matbaası, 1965), pp. 40-41. The programme also stated that Turkey had supported
Arabs in the Arab-Israeli question and the Arabs could trust Turkey in the future.
189
The Bulletin of Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, / Dıileri Bakanlıı Bülteni
(The Bulletin), No. 4, January 1965, pp. 67-68.
190
The Bulletin of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Dıileri Bakanlıı Bülteni
(The Bulletin), No. 24, September 1966, pp. 44-45.
one of the main principles of Turkish foreign policy, namely secularism.
However, Turkish statesmen did not refuse Faisal’s invitation for such a
conference. Even Turkish President Cevdet Sunay, a former general, met
with Faisal to discuss the matter. Turkey remained uncommitted, yet
seemed to be supportive of the general idea of convening an Islamic
conference in which Turkey would participate191 and viewed such a
conference as a great advantage against Greece.192
For the first time in Republican history, the Demirel government
changed Turkey’s stand vis-à-vis Israel and the Arabs and in the 1967
Arab-Israeli War announced that Turkey would not permit the United
States to utilise Turkish bases to support Israel.193 The Turkish Foreign
Minister, øhsan Sabri Ça÷layangil, also advocated an immediate Israeli
withdrawal at the UN General Assembly meeting and gave clear support to
the Arabs194—the first time Turkey did not follow the United States and
other Western states in the UN voting and supported the Arab argument.195
Thanks to Turkey’s pro-Arab policies, even Nasser’s Egypt and Syria
thanked Turkey and some Arab states, including Iraq, Saudi Arabia and
Libya supported Turkey in the Cyprus problem.196 Domestically, the
religious, conservative groups enthusiastically supported the JP and even
the leftist TIP and the Communist groups warmly welcomed the JP’s proArab Israel policy. The JP, with the support of the left and right continued
this policy.
The first results of the change were seen in the Turkish-Egyptian
relations. New ambassadors were appointed in 1965 and Turkish Foreign
Minister Ça÷layangil made the first official visit between the two countries
191
Aykan, Ideology..., p. 64.
In the 1965 Jeddah Muslim Congress, Turkey enjoyed 36 Muslim countries’
political support on the Cyprus issue as the Congress condemned the Greek attacks
in Cyprus. Cumhuriyet (daily, østanbul), 23 April 1965. Similarly, that same year,
Iran, Libya and Pakistan gave support to Turkey in the UN against the Greek
initiative as a sign of Muslim solidarity. These goodwill gestures were welcomed in
an isolated Turkey and inevitably affected Turkey’s foreign policy. Nadir Nadi,
Cumhuriyet (daily, østanbul), 21 December 1965.
193
TBMM Tutanak Dergisi, (The Records of Grand Assembly), Birleúim 115, Oturum
1, 18, 1967, pp. 168-169.
194
The Bulletin of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, No. 33, 1967, p. 40 and pp.
55-56; The Bulletin of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, No. 17, February
1966, p. 70.
195
Kemal H. Karpat, Milliyet (daily), 23 June 1967; Bölükbaúı, Türkiye ve..., p. 5.
196
Some of these declarations are: Turkey-Saudi Arabia Declaration (27 January 1968),
Turkey-Libya Joint Declaration (31 January 1968) and Turkey-Irak Joint
Declaration (1 May 1968): The Bulletin of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
No. 40, 1968, pp. 49-63; The Bulletin of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, No.
42, pp. 50-51; The Bulletin of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, No: 44, 1968,
pp. 37-40.
192
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on 15–19 January 1969.197 The improved relations also increased the flow
of Arab tourists to Turkey and the volume of trade in favour of Turkey.198
Turkish exports to Arab countries increased by about 38 per cent in 1970.
Apart from the Cyprus Crises and Turkey’s problem with the West, the
Arab defeat and humiliation in the June 1967 Arab-Israel wars continued
to Turkish-Arab rapprochement. Problems with the West in both sides
caused a new regional awareness among Turks and Arabs. Both needed
each other move and “towards the end of the 1960s and early 1970s, there
was a new spirit, a new willingness and a new awareness among TurkishArab relations.”199
However, despite consensus on the Arab-Israeli conflict, Turkey’s
participation in the first Islamic Conference caused a political crisis at
home. The first attempts to organise an Islamic conference had failed, but
the Al-Aqsa mosque fire of 1969, started by some Zionists, changed the
balance in the Middle East. The fire aroused great indignation among the
Muslim nations against Israel and following the fire, Hassan II, the King of
Morocco, invited all Muslim leaders, including Turkey, to an Islamic
conference to show Muslim solidarity against Israel. According to the
invitation to Rabat, the two issues discussed would be the Al-Aqsa fire and
the status of the city of Jerusalem. For the Demirel-led JP, the invitation
was a perfect opportunity for Turkey to make its return to the Islamic
world. Inönü opposed the invitation arguing that such a meeting would
violate the Kemalist, secularist standing and the Turkish constitution
because Kemal had refused all invitations for any meeting based on
Islamic values. Moreover, Inönü argued that Turkish participation at the
Rabat Conference would harm Turkey’s neutrality vis-à-vis Israel and the
Arab states.200 The left saw Demirel’s decision as an election-tactic,201 but
the army also expressed its unease. Furthermore, some leftist-Kemalists
argued that Turkey might risk its neutrality in the region by involving itself
in Egypt-Saudi Arabia competition.202 Turkey participated in the
conference, but it was not represented by the President or Prime Minister,
197
øsmail Soysal, ‘Seventy Years of Turkish-Arab Relations’, in Soysal, Between East
and West, Studies on Turkish Foreign Relations, (østanbul: The ISIS Pres, 2001), p.
291.
198
Kemal. H. Karpat, ‘Turkish and Arab-Israeli Relations’, in Kemal H. Karpat,
Turkey’s Foreign Policy in Transition, 1950-1974, (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1975), p.
132.
199
Oya Akgören Mughisuddin, Turkey and the Middle East: Systemic and Subsystemic
Determinants of Policy, 1960-1975, (Ankara: Foreign Policy Institute, 1993), p. 62.
200
TBMM Tutanak Dergisi, (The Records of Grand Assembly), 3, 1970, pp. 450-451.
201
Milliyet, 19, 22, 26 September 1969; ølhan Selçuk, ‘Ortado÷u’da Türkiye’, (Turkey
in the Middle East), Cumhuriyet, 2 October 1969.
202
Kayhan Sa÷lamer, ‘øslam Paktı ve Türkiye’, (Islamic Pact and Turkey), Cumhuriyet,
20 February 1966.
but by the Foreign Minister. The
Turkish
representative
also
declared that Turkey was a secular
state and that its participation
should not be viewed as an antisecular
statement.
Moreover,
Turkey said that it could not
discuss any other issue, except the
Al-Aqsa fire in the conference. n
his response to the invitation,
Turkish President Sunay refrained
from using the word Islam and
underlined
Turkey’s
secular
characteristic203 as Demirel argued,
‘Whatever the name of the
conference is not important, its
agenda is well known: The AlAqsa fire and the status of
Jerusalem. That’s all. It is not a
religious meeting, but political.
True Muslim states participate, but
this does not make the meeting
anti-secular.’204
PUBLIC OPINION AND
FOREIGN POLICY, 1965 (*)
‘What country is our best friend?’
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
US – 18%
West Germany – 24%
Pakistan – 23%
Iran – 4%
We have none – 25%
Others – 6 %
‘Which one is our greatest enemy?’
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Greece – 42%
Russia – 34%
US – 8%
We have more than one –4%
Others – 10%
Don’t know – 2
‘Do you approve of Turkey’s
membership in NATO?’
a.
b.
c.
d.
Approve – 78%
Disapprove – 7%
Don’t Know – 4%
Unanswered – 11%
---
At the conference, the Turkish (*) Omnibus Study, Turkey, performed for
delegate said that Turkey would the PEVA (Market Studies & Research)
of Istanbul, Ankara, 1965.
support any document to promote Company
Quoted in Vali, Bridge..., p. 107.
the Arab position or criticize Israel,
but opposed any full condemnation
of Israel and opposed the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO)
participation in the conference as a full member.205
The Turkish stance at the conference pleased neither Israel nor the
Arabs. The domestic opponent also increased their criticism about the JP
foreign policy. The only benefit for the JP was the conservatives’ support
domestically. Moreover, the Rabat Conference proved that NATO
membership was not an obstacle for improving its relations with the
developing countries and that despite its good relations with Israel, Turkey
had been invited and this invitation showed that Turkey was still
considered a natural member of the Muslim world.
203
øhsan Sabri Ça÷layangil, Anılarım, (My Memoirs), (østanbul: Güneú, 1990), p. 63.
The Bulletin of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, No. 60, 1969, pp. 19-20.
205
Cumhuriyet, 4 October 1969.
204
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The Rabat Conference was followed by the conventions of Islamic
Ministers for Foreign Affairs, at which the secretariat succeeded in
drawing up a charter for the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.206
However, Turkey did not send its Minister, but the General Secretary of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Jeddah. The Turkish representative did
not oppose the idea of establishing a General Secretariat for the
Organization; however, Turkey cautiously refrained from committing itself
to regular participation in the conference. Turkish delegates also pointed
out the political difference between Turkey and the other Muslim
countries.
In addition to participating at the Rabat Conference and the Islamic
Conference of Foreign Ministers, the JP also refused to allow the United
States forces to utilise NATO bases to intervene in the Jordan Affair as
part of its new eastern policy.207 Demirel explained Turkey’s position as
follows:
‘We live in a dangerous region. We have to be in good relations
with the regional countries. The block we are in could not change
this reality.’208
In brief, the rapprochement between Turks and Arabs began in 1965
and continued in the following years. The main reasons for the change
were Turkey’s relations with the West209 and the Arab defeats and
humiliation before Israel. The increasing problems in Turkey-West
relations nourished Turkey’s relations with the rest of the world. Similarly
the Western support to Israel and the war defeats forced the Arabs to find
new friends like the Turks. All these were clear signs of the radical shift in
Turkey’s Kemalist foreign policy towards the Muslim world.
206
Landau, The Politics…, pp. 188-189.
The Bulletin of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Dıileri Bakanlıı Bülteni,
No. 72, 1970, p. 27.
208
Demirel, in Çaglayangil, Anılarım, pp. 125-126.
209
Ömer Kürkçüo÷lu, Türkiye’nin Arap Orta Dousu’na Karı Politikası, 1945-1970
(Turkey’s Foreign Policy Towards Arab Middle East, 1945-1970), (Ankara: Sevinç
Matbaası, 1972), p. 210.
207
The Bilateral Cultural Agreements
Between Turkey and Arab States
(1958-1975)210
Algeria
1958
Lebanon
1959
Tunisia
1964
Egypt
1965
Morocco
1966
Jordan
1968
Syria
1972
Iraq
1974
Saudi Arabia
1974
Libya
1975
Kuwait
1975
Relations with the West: the EEC and United States
Demirel suffered from the army and bureaucracy’s obstinacy at home
and feared a possible military intervention. In this context, he saw the West
as a guarantee of safety for non-Kemalist political groups and Turkish
democracy. Thus, Demirel attempted to fasten the integration process with
the European Community. Furthermore, the need for new financial
assistance211 and for political support after the United States
disappointment had pushed Turkey into the EC. The Turkish economy was
far from capable of competing with the EC economies, nevertheless, in
May 1967, the third year of the preparatory stage, the Demirel government
demanded negotiations to start the transition stage to entry. This proves
that the motive behind Demirel’s EC policy was more political than
economical. Although economic considerations, like new concessions for
Turkish agricultural and industrial exports, improved conditions for
Turkish migrant workers and financial aid was also important, the main
motive for entry was political. The negotiations concluded with the
Additional Protocol on 22 July 1970 and became effective in January 1973.
Thus, the transitional stage was started.212 The Protocol deigned a
210
Ömer Kürkçüo÷lu, ‘Development of Turkish-Arab Relations: A Historical
Appraisal’, in Ali L. Karaosmano÷lu and Seyfi Taúhan (eds), Middle East, Turkey,
and the Atlantic Alliance, (Ankara; Foreign Policy Institute, 1987), p. 220.
211
Demirel clearly underscored the need for foreign aid in his speech: Demirel in
‘øktisadi Geliúme Var’, Son Havadis (daily), 25 June 1965.
212
Roswitha Bourguinon, ‘The History of the Association Agreement between Turkey
and the European Community’, in Ahmet Evin and Geoffrey Denton (eds.), Turkey
and the European Community, (Opladen, Germany: Leske&Budrich, 1990), p. 54;
$ &"
programme for the creation of a customs union, but in order to reach a
customs union, a strict preparation programme was planned, which would
abolish Turkish tariff barriers for EC exports within 12 to 22 years. It also
provided free access for all Turkish industrial goods, except textiles and
petroleum products, while free movement of labour and capital between
the EC and Turkey would be phased between the 12th and 22nd year.
Finally, the second financial protocol would provide $195 million over a
five-year period.213
Despite the United States’ changes in Turkish policy, similar to the
Democrats, neo-Democrats could not give up their Americanist ideas.
They were more cautious in American policy,214 but they still could not
accept Turkish security without United States’ support.215 Demirel stated:
‘We must search a way not to demolish Turkish-American
friendship. Also we should remember that the strongest relations are
based on mutual interests rather than emotions.’216
In addition, Demirel saw the United States as a financial aid source for
his economic reforms and as an ideological model for the ‘new
Democrats’. For instance, at the first congress of the JP, Demirel had
displayed his picture with American President Johnson to underline his
close ties to the US. Turkey’s rush for an agreement with the EC, and the
agreement itself showed Demirel’s enthusiasm for integration with the
West. Contrary to the communists, neo-Kemalists and the Islamists,
Demirel, despite his Eastern policy, did not neglect the EC and United
States. Therefore, the leftists and the Islamists blamed Demirel for selling
Turkey to the West, calling him ‘Morrison Süleyman’.217 When Demirel,
as a young engineer, replaced øsmet ønönü as the new Prime Minister,
Demirel’s rise was quickly interpreted by the Kemalist pundits as an
Meltem Müftüler, The Impact of External Factors on Internal Transformation:
Turkish Structural Adjustment Process and the European Community, PhD Thesis,
The Temple University, Florida, 1992, p. 81.
213
Additional Protocol, Official Journal of the EC, No. 293, 27 December 1972;
Mehmet Ali Birand, ‘Turkey and the European Community’, The World Today,
February 1978, pp. 52-61; Redmond, John, The Next Mediterranean Enlargement of
the European Community: Turkey, Cyprus and Malta?, (Aldershot: Dartmouth,
1993), p. 27. Also see Mehmet Ali Birand, Türkiye’nin Ortak Pazar Macerası:
1959-1985, (Turkey’s Common Market Adventure), (østanbul: Milliyet, 1985).
214
Arcayürek, Cüneyt..., p. 125.
215
‘Muarızlarımız Ne Yaparlarsa Yapsınlar, Gideceklerdir’, Son Havadis (daily,
østanbul), 13 January 1965; øhsan Sabri Ça÷layangil, ‘Türkiye’nin NATO’daki
Yeri’, (Turkey’s Place in the NATO), in Türkiye ve NATO, (Turkey and the NATO),
(Ankara: Türk Atlantik Andlaúması Derne÷i Yayınları, No. 1, n.d.), pp. 123-127.
216
Haber (daily), 2 May 1965.
217
Gerger, Türk..., 1998), p. 114.
‘American plot’ to punish ønönü.218 For instance, Metin Toker, son-in-law
of ønönü who was considered his unofficial spokesman, directly accused
the US of involving Turkish domestic politics:
‘As far as I know, we seriously intended to land on Cyprus for
the first time during the summer of 1964. That initiative was blocked
by that famous letter of Johnson... This is the emotional basis of the
anti-American sentiment that would be left in Turkey for years to
come... A short time later, Johnson also had a diagnosis of smet
nönü. As a result of this diagnosis, he tried to find a prime minister
to replace smet nönü... An American general whose name is Porter
arrived in Ankara. He was sent to Ankara by President Johnson
himself. His mission was to find a prime minister who would accept
the various propositions that nönü had rejected. General Porter’s
visit coincided with reports of CIA agents conducting surveys in
Ankara. Turkey saw the real face of America on that occasion and
the debate on America in Turkish public opinion started... This is
exactly what the United States would not permit to continue.
Eventually, General Porter and the CIA’s agents found what they
were looking for. This was Demirel... to whom the destiny of Turkey
has been entrusted since 1965’.219
Relations with the Soviet Union
As discussed above, the Jupiter Crisis and the Cyprus Crisis forced
Turkey to balance its relations vis-à-vis the Soviet Union and the United
States. As the Soviet Union sought some sort of accommodation with
Turkey, the relations developed with the Soviets. A series of official visits
initiated by the President of the Senate, Suat Hayri Ürgüplü, began on 29
May 1961. The Turkish parliamentary delegation visited Moscow from 29
May to 14 June 1963. The delegation returned with excellent impressions
and Soviet promises for economic aid, friendship and easy financial terms
for industrial projects.220 Ürgüplü’s visit could be considered the start of a
new phase in Turkish-Soviet relations; however, the real thaw began with
the 1964 Moscow visit of Turkish Foreign Minister, Feridun Cemal Erkin,
(30 October6 November 1964). Cemal Erkin’s Soviet visit was first
218
Cengiz Çandar, ‘Some Turkish Perspectives on the United States and American
Policy Toward Turkey’, in Morton Abramowitz (ed.), Turkey’s Transformation and
American Policy, (New York: The Century Foundatiton Books, 2000), p. 128.
219
Metin Toker, Demokrasimizin smet Paalı Yılları, 1944-1973 (The Years of Our
Democracy with General øsmet ønönü), (Ankara: Bilgi, 1991), pp. 195-211 as cited
in Çandar, ‘Some...’, p. 129.
220
Kemal H. Karpat, ‘Turkish Soviet Relations’, in Kemal H. Karpat (ed.), Turkey’s
Foreign Policy in Transition, 1950-1974, (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1975), p. 88.
$ &"
scheduled to take place on 18 March 1964, yet as a result of the Soviet
Union’s ‘pro-Greek’ position, Ankara postponed the Foreign Minister’s
departure to Moscow. When the Soviet Ambassador in Nicosia visited
Fazıl Küçük, Turkish Vice-President and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot
Community, Turkey considered this first Soviet visit as a clear indication
that the Soviet position on Cyprus had changed.221 Thus, Cemal Erkin
departed to Moscow on 30 October 1964. Erkin was one of the most
Westernist names in the Turkish government and had been sceptical of the
Soviets. The Moscow visit, however, affected Erkin and he also accepted
the inevitability of improving relations with the Soviet Union and
persuaded Prime Minister ønönü to take the necessary steps in this
direction.222 After the visit, the Soviet Union called for a peaceful solution
based on the territorial integrity, independence and the legal rights of
Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities. The joint Turkish-Soviet
communiqué issued at the end of the visit also called for the strengthening
of good neighbour relations between the two countries. Both sides declared
that the relations should be based on mutual respect for territorial integrity,
independence and differences in political and social systems. The need for
increased commercial relations was also emphasized.223 In addition, a
cultural agreement with a broad scope, including exchange of students, was
signed by Turkey and the Soviet Union.
A few months later, Erkin’s visit was followed by an Ankara visit by
the delegation from the Supreme Soviet, headed by Nikolai Podgorny, in
January 1965. The visit was the first Soviet official visit to Turkey in more
than 25 years.224 While in Ankara, Podgorny said that relations between
the two countries were progressing. He also expressed his hopes for
continuous mutual visits. The Soviet delegation’s Ankara visit initiated a
new series of official visits by the leaders of the two countries and Soviet
Prime Minister Aleksei Kosygin also visited Ankara (20-27 December
1966). Demirel, before the Kosygin visit, received Romanian Prime
Minister Ion Gheorghe Maurer and Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivan
Basyev.225 The Demirel Government also sent official delegations to
Russia, Poland and Albania. On 13 September 1967, a few days before the
Moscow visit, Demirel went to Romania, another communist country. All
these were clear messages to the communist world and deemed as ‘mild
221
Karpat, ‘Turkish…’, pp. 91-92.
Karpat, ‘Turkish…’, p. 90.
223
Karpat, ‘Turkish…’, p. 92.
224
Çelik, Contemporary…, p. 49.
225
By the end of 1964, Turkish delegations had visited Romania and Bulgaria to
improve bilateral relations in trade and tourism. In 1965, the Bulgarian Minister of
Trade, Ivan Budinof, was the first Bulgarian minister to visit Turkey in 21 years, and
while visiting, discussed the improvement of trade.
222
flirting with the communists’ by the American weekly, Time.226 Demirel
and Kosygin negotiated on the Soviet’s $200 million industrial-aidpackage and the recent $1,4 million Czechoslovakian arms shipment to
Greek Cypriots. Demirel warned Kosygin for possible use of these arms
against the Turkish Cypriots. Kosygin said he regretted the sale but he
claimed the sale was completely out of his hands. Süleyman Demirel
strongly emphasised that ‘Turkey is sticking to NATO’, yet he assured the
Soviet PM during the Ankara visit that it should not interfere with relations
between two countries. Demirel accepted Kosygin’s official visit invitation
as a gesture to prove his sincerity in developing relations with the Soviet
Union. However, not to provoke the Americans, the Demirel Government
announced new arms agreements with the US that would provide Turkey
with about $670 million in military aid between 1966 and 1970.
Turkish-Soviet relations gradually developed during the Demirel years.
Many heavy industry investments in particular were realized by Turkish –
Soviet cooperation.227 Karpat even argues that, despite early expectations,
the JP government expanded the relations faster and more profoundly than
its predecessors.228 Turkish Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel accepted a
Soviet invitation to visit Moscow. Demirel went to Moscow on 19
September 1967. Demirel also visited the Caucasus and Central Asia
regions of the Soviet Union. Premier Demirel signed an economic cooperation agreement there under which Turkey developed huge public
projects with Soviet industrial and financial assistance. Turkey accepted a
$ 200 million credit from the Soviet Union for seven industrial projects in
1967.229 By the end of the 1970s, Turkey received more Soviet economic
assistance than any other Third World country except Cuba and the
number of Soviet-aided Turkish industrial projects increased 44 per cent.
Trade soared after the visit230 and the power changes in Ankara did not
disrupt relations.231 The joint communiqué issued after the visit publicly
declared that there was no question between the two countries which could
cause clashes on fundamental interests.
The Turkish foreign minister went to Moscow in 1968 and President
Cevdet Sunay followed him in 1969. Thanks to Sunay’s visit, the Soviet
Union increased financial aid to Turkish industrial projects like the
øskenderun Steel and Iron project.
226
‘A Polite Distance’, Time, 30 December 1960.
Cem Birsay, ‘The Integration…’, p. 94.
228
Karpat, ‘Turkish…’, p. 97.
229
Robert S. Eaton, Soviet Relations with Greece and Turkey, Occasional Papers, No.2
(Hellenic Foundation for Defence and Foreign Policy, Athens, 1987), pp. 8-9.
230
The volume of Turkish-Soviet trade reached the level of $74.8 million in 1969.
231
Rubinstein, Soviet Policy toward Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan, pp. 26-27, 35-36.
227
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Parallel to the Turkish-Soviet relations, the Turkey-Balkans relations
also developed. Trade volume increased and Turkey signed co-operation
agreements with Balkan and other Eastern European countries. Turkey,
Bulgaria and Yugoslavia began to discuss a possible Trans-Balkan
highway project running through Belgrade, Istanbul, Ankara and Hatay.
The Romanian Prime Minister, Gheorghe Maurer and Bulgarian Foreign
Minister, Ivan Bashev visited Turkey in 1966. The Bulgarian premier,
Todorov Zhikov, also visited Ankara in March 1968.
Developing friendlier relations with the Soviet Union affected Turkish
foreign policy in the Middle East and Turkish-American relations. Turkey
was more reluctant towards the American calls in the region. During the
1967 Arab-Israeli War, for instance, Turkey, who had allowed the US to
use Turkish bases to support its intervention in the Lebanon war in 1958,
did not permit the US to use the NATO bases in Turkey for refuelling and
supply activities. As will be seen, the US would not be permitted to use the
military bases for direct combat or logistical support in 1973 too.232
Different from the Menderes years, the US faced a clear reluctance in the
use of NATO facilities in Turkey for non-NATO contingencies during the
1960s. As a result of the anti-American public pressure and the US’ new
strategy, the level of co-operation between the US and Turkey changed as
Ankara began to put several restrictions on US activity on its soil. Through
the Defence Co-operation Agreement of July 1969, the US, different from
in the Democratic Party years, recognised ultimate Turkish sovereignty
over all installations and emphasised their NATO character.233 However,
Turkey did not fully depart from the Western Bloc and allowed limited use
of US facilities for the Middle Eastern crisis and conflicts. For example,
during the 1967 and 1973 wars, the US was permitted to use the bases in
Turkey as communication stations. Turkey developed closer relations with
the Soviets and other communist countries, yet it was difficult to fully trust
the Soviet Union. Apart from historical experiences with the Russians, the
Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia and the Soviet naval build up in the
eastern Mediterranean weakened the Turkish attempts for neutrality. After
the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, both the JP and the RPP declared
that Turkey’s place was among the NATO members. Moreover, when the
Turkish air force bombed Greek positions to stop the Enosis terrorism and
attacks against Turkish civilian targets, the Soviet Union protested Turkey.
The Soviet invasion in Czechoslovakia and the Soviet protest in Cyprus
prevented any expectations in broadening relations. Thus the TurkishSoviet rapprochement never replaced Turkey’s commitment to the NATO
232
233
Çelik, Contemporary…, pp. 49-50.
Altunıúık, Turkey..., p. 107.
security system and Turkey remained loyal and reliable actor for the
Western states.234
CONCLUSION: TOWARDS A MULTILATERAL
FOREIGN POLICY
In the post-coup years, two important factors started a chain-reaction
process in Turkish foreign policy which would continue until the 1980s.
The first factor was external, the détente process, and as a result of the
détente there was a change in the United States’ policies towards Turkey.
Turkey’s security challenge remained the most important issue in the
1960s and Turkey was still exposed to the Cold War. However, after the
1962 Cuban missile crisis, the change in East-West relations became more
visible and the détente process allowed for United States strategies while at
the same time Turkey lost confidence in the US.235 In the beginning of the
1960s, the weakening Turkish fears about the Soviet threat also helped the
change. The second American shock came with the Johnson Letter, in
which the United States threatened Turkey not to intervene in the Cyprus
problem. In addition, other European countries’ pro-Greek declarations let
Turkey down, and forced Turkish policy-makers to search for a new
foreign policy. During the Cyprus crisis, Turkey turned its face towards the
Muslims states and the Third World. Moreover, the Western attitude
undermined the Kemalist and other Westernist schools and caused an
ideological transformation in Turkish foreign policy. The second factor
was internal, the military coup and disintegration process that it triggered.
As will be seen below, the disintegration nourished the ideological crisis
and forced the ideological groups to find new approaches in foreign policy.
Coup and the Ideological Transformation in Foreign
Policy
The European and American attitudes not only undermined Westernist
assumptions in foreign policy, but also made the Turkish elite extremely
sensitive to criticism from within the Western bloc. In fact, by
undermining Westernism in Turkey, the West caused an ideological crisis
in Kemalism and other foreign policy schools. Moreover, the 1960
military’s leftist orientation nourished socialist ideas among the Kemalists.
234
Cem Birsay ‘The Integration of Regional Efforts for Strengthening Stability
Initiatives in the Wider Black Sea Area and Turkey’s Position’, in Peter M. E.
Volten and Blagovest Tashev (eds.), Establishing Security and Stability in the Wider
Black Sea Area: International Politics and New Emerging Democracies , (IOS
Press,2007), p. 94.
235
Karpat, ‘Introduction’, p. 8.
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This development led to a transformation in the RPP from pragmatic,
realist and pro-Western Kemalism to an idealist, leftist and a more Western
sceptic Kemalism. Although this ideology could not find an opportunity to
implement its policies, this ideology under the Ecevit governments would
influence Turkey’s foreign policy in the 1970s. The 1960s also saw the
start of the disintegration process in Turkish politics which made a suitable
environment for the resurgence of the Ottoman schools of thought, such as
Islamism and Turkism. As noted above, the neo-Democrats were no
exception and similar to the Kemalists, they had to set a new foreign policy
understanding in the post-coup era. They were now more cautious about
the West and more understanding towards the East.
Finally, after the 1960 coup and thanks to the 1961 Constitutions
pluralistic approach, Turkey witnessed a divergence of political and social
ideas.236 The Right wing was composed of Islamists, Turkists, and liberals,
while the Kemalists (all of them), Marxists, Socialists and separatist
Kurdists made up the Left wing of the political system. For Kili, this new
environment represented a ‘struggle’ after the Kemalist period;
‘... since 1960 Revolution Turkish politics has been
characterised by a ‘struggle’ between ideologues, sharply different
political views, and by the breakdown of elite unity.’237
The effects of the Ottoman legacy were clear. The Islamists were
suggesting a better relationship with the Islamic world, while the Turkists
were dreaming of a Turkic world which included all Turkic peoples from
the Balkans to China. The liberals advocated more freedom and integration
with the Western political and economic system. The tradition of the
conservative-liberal Democratic Party aimed to include all of these
approaches, which can be called a Turkish-Islam Synthesis with proWesternism. By contrast, the left-wing wanted neither the West nor the
East. For them the Islamic world was the symbol of backwardness, while
Western capitalism was the symbol of colonisation and exploitation of the
Third World. They advocated a more balanced foreign policy. They
believed that Turkey was a Third World country and it must co-operate
with those countries. Also, for them, Turkey should improve its relations
with the Soviet Union and must not rely on only the United States. In the
midst of divergent ideologies, Kemalism became the object of refutation as
it represented the ideology of the establishment.238 Islamists, liberals and
236
Mohammad Sadiq, ‘Intellectual Origins of the Turkish National Liberation
Movement’, International Studies (New Delhi), Vol. 15, 1976, pp. 509-529, p. 509.
237
Kili, Kemalism, p. 2.
238
List was made by the author according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry documents;
Turkish newspaper collections and George Ginsburgs and Robert M. Slusser, A
Marxists heavily criticised the Kemalist (Mustafa Kemal’s and ønönü’s
Kemalism) foreign policy. All these critics forced the governments to reconsider its foreign policy. In this trend, the Marxist impact on Turkish
foreign policy was significant.
Calendar of Soviet Treaties, 1958-1973, (Rockville, Maryland: Sijthoff&Noordhoff,
1981).
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ANNEX 1:
OFFICIAL VISITS BETWEEN TURKEY AND THE
SOVIET UNION IN 1960s239
14 March 1960: Trade Protocol for 1960 was signed with two lists.
16 February 1961: Trade Protocol for 1961 between the USSR and
Turkey was signed in Moscow. It is based on trade and payments
agreement of 8 October 1937. (Soviet machines and equipment, lathes,
automobiles, paper, glass etc; in exchange for Turkish wool, cotton,
tobacco, dried fruit, leather, etc.
29 May 1961: Suat Hayri Ürgüplü, the President of the Senate, visits
Moscow
6 January 1962: Trade Protocol was for 1962 was signed.
9 June 1962: Agreement on establishment of wire –telephone
communications and on existing radio- telegraphs service.
9 October 1962: Protocol concerning conclusion of construction of
glass factory built with Soviet aid.
29 May-14 June 1963: The Turkish parliamentary delegation visits
Moscow
18 March 1963: Trade Protocol for the period of 1 April 1963-31
March 1964
25 April 1963: Protocol of the Joint Commission providing for the
joint construction of a dam on the border river Akhurian.
9 March 1964: Trade protocol for 1964-1965
31 August 1964: Announced that a joint project would be carried out to
build a high dam on the Arapçay River
5 November 1964: Joint communiqué on a visit by Foreign Minister
Erkin; Agreement on cultural and scientific exchange
30 October-6 November 1964: Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun
Cemal Erkin visits Moscow
24 December 1964: Exchange of notes on mutual waiver of fees for
visas.
239
List was made by the author according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry documents;
Turkish newspaper collections and George Ginsburgs and Robert M. Slusser, A
Calendar of Soviet Treaties, 1958-1973, (Rockville, Maryland: Sijthoff&Noordhoff,
1981).
January 1965: Soviet President Nicolai Podgorny and parliamentary
delegation visits Ankara
19 February 1965: Supplementary trade agreement to the current trade
protocol for 1954-1965.
22 March 1965: Joint on the visit of PM Ürgüplü
17-22 May 1965: Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko visits
Turkey
7 August 1965: Turkish Prime Minister Suat Hayri Ürgüplü visits
Moscow
24 November 1965: Contract for preparation by the Soviet
organization blueprints for a dam on the frontier river Akhurian (Arapçay)
7 December 1965: Exchange of letters providing for Soviet deliveries
of machinery and equipment.
18 February 1966:Trade protocol for current years
20-27 December 1966: Soviet Premier A. Kosygin comes to Turkey
27 December 1966: Communiqué on visit by Kosygin
1967: Turkey concluded an economic agreement with the Soviet Union
worth $200 million in cheap credits.
19-29 September 1967: Turkish Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel
visits Moscow, Central Asia and the Caucasus regions of the Soviet Union
1968: Turkish Foreign Minister visits Moscow
9 February 1967: Trade protocol for 1967-1968
24 February 1967: Agreement on veterinary matters (with appendices)
28 February 1967: Protocol on the redemarcation of the SovietTurkish border established by the Treaty of Kars of 1921 and the protocol
of 1926, with supplementary technical protocol and 2 appendices.
25 March 1967: Agreement on delivery of equipment, materials and
furnishing technical assistance to Turkey in construction of several
industrial objectives and conditions of payment therefore,
10 May 1967: Contract on Soviet technical assistance in the
construction of an aluminum plant
30 May 1967: Announcement that the USSR had informed Turkey that
10 Soviet warships would pass through the Bosporus and Dardanelles.
13 June 1967: Contract on Soviet technical assistance in construction
of oil refining plant.
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29 August 1967: Agreement on air communication (with 3
appendices).
Agreement on inauguration of direct air service.
29 September 1967: Joint com. On a visit by PM Süleyman Demirel
23 February 1968: Trade protocol for 1968; Exchange of notes
concerning recomputation of saldo of cleaning accounts, limit of technical
credits and all payment commissions in case of change in the gold content
of accounting unit
19 April 1968: Agreement to establish a direct railway passenger
service
7 May 1968: Contract on drawing up blueprint for a metallurgical
combine to be built in Turkey
19 June 1968: Joint communiqué on the visit of the Foreign Minister
of Turkey
22 July 1968: Protocol on Soviet assistance construction of a factory
for production of large panel prefabricated housing
1969: Turkish President Cevdet Sunay visits Moscow
13 March 1969: Trade protocol for 1969-1970
19 March 1969: 6 document on the procedure and technical principles
for work on the redemarcation of the frontier.
3 June 1969: protocol approving technical blueprint of metallurgical
works to be built with Soviet assistance
13 August 1969: Exchange of notes on Soviet technical assistance in
the construction of an electric transmission live.
10 October 1969: Agreement on construction of a steel works at
øskenderun.
21 November 1969: Joint com. on the visit of the President of Turkey.
23 March 1970: Trade protocol for the 1970-1971
23 August 1970: Agreement on Soviet grant of credit for construction
of a metallurgical plant
21 October 1970: Agreement on road transportation.
2 March 1971: Supplementary protocol to the Trade and payments
agreement of October 8, 1937,
9 March 1971: Trade protocol for 1971-1972