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{
    "localId": "207522765",
    "label": "Memorandum from George Elsey to President Harry S. Truman with Related Attachment from \"Current Foreign Relations\"",
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{
    "id": "207522765",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum from George Elsey to President Harry S. Truman with Related Attachment from \"Current Foreign Relations\"",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/207522765",
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        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
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    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "logicalDate": "1951-04-01",
            "month": 4,
            "year": 1951
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{
    "seq": 10,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750278/750278-02-10.jpg",
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    "ocrText": "SECRET\n-7-\nhas heretofore taken no initiative in the direction of coordinated defense\nplanning with Turkey, the Iraq Government has recently requested train-\ning facilities from the Turkish Government for a few Iragi officers. With\nrespect to Egypt, Turkey hopes to exercise a beneficial influence, work-\ning through the family connections of the Turkish Ambassador in Cairo\nwith the Egyptian royal family. Turkey has also established closer rela-\ntions with Israel through the appointment of a Minister to that country,\nsignature of a Turkish-Israeli commercial agreement, and through a\nvisit to Turkey by a large group of Israeli journalists. In addition, Tur-\nkey has recently concluded an air transport agreement with Israel simi-\nlar to those which exist between Turkey and the Arab states. In the\nsphere of political relations, Turkey showed considerable energy and\ninitiative in it's demarches to the Arab states in the interest of obtaining\ntheir support of the US position in the Korean crisis and of the resolution\ncondemning Chinese Communist aggression. With respect to the Arab-\nIsraeli dispute, Turkey is one of the three member states represented\non the UN Conciliation Commission for Palestine, and there is no doubt\nthat the Turks would welcome a decrease in the points of friction between\nthe Near Eastern states as a means of strengthening their ability to resist\nCommunist penetration or Soviet aggression. The Turks have informed\nus of their readiness to assist in the task of persuasion, both within and\noutside the Commission, with a view to bringing about an Arab-Israeli\npeace settlement, and the Turkish Foreign Minister has expressed the\nview that, if even some slight equilibrium could be achieved with respect\nto the Palestine problem, Turkey could aid the Arabs materially, particu-\nlarly in meeting their social and economic problems.\nTurkish-Iranian Relations - Little basis exists for\nany significant extension of economic relations between Turkey and Iran.\nHowever, the Irano-Turkish transit agreement, which has been ratified\nby Iran and on which Turkish ratification is expected shortly, may prove\nhelpful in furthering trade between the two countries, as well as in pro-\nmoting Iranian trade with Western markets. Turkey has displayed a\ndesire, moreover, to develop international highway links with Iran through\nIskenderun and Trabzon, and is prepared to establish free zones for Iran\nat both ports. These road links would be of value to Iran as outlets for its\nnorthern trade. On the political side, it is the policy of both countries to\nmaintain cordial relations, although Turkey's ability to exercise a construc.\ntive influence on Iran is limited. From the military point of view, Turkey\nregards Iran's vulnerability as axiomatic, and has a low regard for Iran's"
}