<--PREV Doc #1558  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1560 Document #1559; June 11, 1960 To Cemal Gursel Series: EM, AWF, International Series: Turkey The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XX - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace Part IX: Shattered Dreams; March 1960 to July 1960 Chapter 22: Disaster in Paris   Dear Mr. President: My several visits to Turkey have given me a deep and abiding interest in the Turkish people and the problems that over the years have confronted them.1 When you recently became head of state, I followed with particular interest the constructive public statements which you made to your countrymen and to the world at large.2 Your expressed determination to hold elections and to turn over the government administration to the newly-elected authorities has been welcome by all of Turkey’s friends. It is the deep hope of all of us that these elections and the new constitution being prepared under your authority will mark another milestone in the development of democracy in Turkey. The intention of your government to preserve Turkey’s ties with NATO and CENTO was also a source of great satisfaction to me and to all those associated with Turkey in these collective security organizations dedicated to the defense of the free world. My government looks forward to continuing cordial relations with Turkey in the tradition of friendship and cooperation that has always marked the relations of the Turkish and American people.3 You have, Mr. President, my warmest wishes for success in realizing the high ideals to which you have dedicated your government, and in dealing with the problems now confronting it.4 Sincerely 1 Eisenhower had visited Turkey in December 1959 (see no. 1388), and early in 1952 (see Galambos and van Ee, NATO, pp. 1049 - 51). 2 For background see no. 1524. On May 27 the Turkish army coup had overthrown Turkey’s civilian government. The uprising was led by sixty-five-year-old Lieutenant General Gursel, who had recently resigned as commander of ground forces as a protest against the government’s increasingly repressive actions toward political opponents. A 1929 graduate of the Turkish War College and a veteran of several wars, Gursel had had a long and distinguished military career. The day after the coup, Gursel had formed a provisional government, naming himself President and Premier. He had claimed that he would not establish a dictatorship and promised forthcoming elections. He had also announced that the provisional government would revise the constitution and that after a transitional period he would retire from the government and politics. The army had stated that Turkey would continue to be part of the Western Alliance, and would remain committed to NATO and CENTO. A new constitution would be approved by referendum in July 1961 and the first elections would be held four months later (New York Times, May 28, 29, June 1, 5, 1960, and July 12, Oct. 27, 1961). Gursel would be elected to the presidency. For developments see no. 1578, and Public Papers of the Presidents: Eisenhower, 1960 - 61, pp. 901 - 2. 3 Shortly after the coup, Herter had told Eisenhower that the new Turkish foreign minister had requested a declaration of United States support for Turkey. The minister had claimed that a show of support would be useful in dealing with Russian overtures to the new government and would strengthen the morale of the Turkish people as well as his position vis-a-vis the provisional government and military. Herter had suggested that it was in the United States’ interest to express confidence in the new government. This letter, drafted by the State Department, was sent with no changes (Herter to Eisenhower, June 10, 1960, AWF/I: Turkey). 4 Gursel would thank Eisenhower for the message, replying that the main purpose for the government reorganization was to end a "dictatorship" "steering along a path likely to endanger the supreme interests of the country." The new set of democratic rules being prepared by a committee of scholars, he said, would strengthen his country and make Turkey a better partner to its allies in their joint endeavor to preserve world peace (Gursel to Eisenhower, June 18, 1960, ibid.). Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Cemal Gursel, 11 June 1960. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1559. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/second-term/documents/1559.cfm <--PREV Doc #1558  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1560

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