740.5/9–2051: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Turkey 1
niact
214. For Ambassador. In addition to Pres Truman’s msg to Pres Bayar contained in Deptel 2132 Sept 20, you are requested to deliver the fol secret msg from Pres Truman to Pres Bayar, which shld not be made public without prior clearance with Dept.
“Turkey’s accession to the Treaty Org will give rise to many practical problems with respect to participation in the Org and its various subsidiary bodies. Although no formal arrangements can be made until Turkey accedes to the Treaty, I believe it wld be desirable at an early date to have conversations of a purely preliminary nature between your Govt and reps of some of the members of the NATO.
“There is, in addition, a closely related and very important question which it might be well to discuss in the same way. As we have advised you informally, prelim discussions have been held between the US, UK and France with respect to the setting up of a ME Command, which [Page 577] wld make it possible to organize, through a coop effort, the mil defense of that area as a whole. In the light of the important role Turkey has in the defense of the ME, we hope Turkey will participate as a founding member of such a Command.
“If it wld be agreeable to Your Excellency, I wld be glad to send to Turkey as US rep for these talks our highest mil rep, Gen Omar Bradley, Chairman of our JCS, who, perhaps accompanied by high Brit and Fr mil reps, cld discuss these matters with you”
Please inform Dept as soon as messages delivered and Pres Bayar’s reaction thereto.
Please inform your Brit colleague of contents above messages. Brit Emb here has shown Dept proposed msg from Morrison to Köprülü which Brit Emb Ankara undoubtedly will make available to you. Suggest you coordinate your respective approaches to Pres Bayar and Köprülü.