Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and the Ambassador of Turkey

Restriction s/s DEPARTMENT OF STATE and ARCHIVES NATIONAL RECORDS AMD BERVICE** Memorandum of Conversation in 88 43 DATE: February 17, 1949 SUBJECT: Turkish Interest in Proposed Declaration on Greece, Turkey, and Iran, and in Eventual Creation of Mediterranean Pact. PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary. The Turkish Ambassador. Also Present: John D. Jernegan, Chief, GTI. COPIES TO: EUR WE Ankara ) Athens ) Tehran ) by stamp London ) Mr. Erkin recalled previous conversations which he had had with Secretary Marshall and other officers of the Department regarding Turkey's interest in the proposed North Atlantic security arrangements and other possible regional groupings in which Turkey might participate. He said that he and his Government had come to the conclusion that Turkey could not appropriately participate in the North Atlantic arrangement but continued to be interested in the possibility of a Mediterranean pact in which Turkey could and should play a leading role. Recently, the Ambassador continued, his Government had heard from garious sources that the powers concerned with the Atlantic Pact were contemplating the inclusion in the Pact of a declaration with regard to Turkey identical with or similar to "Presi- dent Truman's Statement". (It appeared that he was referring to the so-called "Truman Doctrine", as specifically applied to Turkey, enunciated in the President's speech of March 12, 1947.) In a previous conversation with Mr. Satterthwaite, the Ambassador had expressed the personal opinion that such a declaration by the members of the Atlantic Pact would add nothing to the assurances already received by Turkey as a result of the Anglo-Turkish Alliance and the Truman statements. He personally would not be inclined to welcome such a declaration. He had reported this to Ankara and had now received instructions approving his views. The Turkish Government considered DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (B) 7.23.25 Dept. of State letter, Aug.,9.1973 By NLT- HI , NARS Date 4-20-76 SECRET