THE START OF US MILITARY AID TO TURKEY AFTER THE 2ND WORLD WAR

Abstract

There have been big changes in Europe and the world after World War II. A new bipolar world emerged. Being on the side of the countries winning the war and not giving up its expansionist ambitions, The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics claimed that the Treaty of Turkish-Soviet Friendship and Non-Aggression which was signed on December 17, 1925, was not complying with the current changes and conditions during the war and on June 7, 1945 it asked the Kars and Ardahan provinces to be given to it and also a base in the Straits for the Soviet forces. 1945 and 1946 passed with the tension and exchanging diplomatic note between the Turkish-USSR. On August 22, 1946, Turkey refused the second note of USSR which was sent on August 8, 1946, about the Straits and again, informing US and Britain, on October 18, 1946 it refused Russian note that was sent on September 25, 1946. In the Turkish note, which was very long and at the same time written in a gentle and respectful style, the reasons that the Soviet Union put forward were examined one by one and refuted. Demanding land from Turkey and to control the Straits under the Stalin leadership of the Soviet Union, created concern about ensuring the security against Soviet imperialism for Turkey. Turkey wanted to return to its ordinary situation, to demobilize a part of the crowded army that wanted to expand in the war, to improve the national economy at the end of the World War II. However, the tension with Russia did not allow this. Because USSR clearly showed its intention to reach the warm seas, the United States decided to fill the void in the regions which England left; considering the situation in the Middle east. On March 3, 1947, the Truman Doctrine was announced. On March 12, 1947, President Truman, in his message asked the American Congress to grant him authorization to allow Greece and Turkey $ 400 million for military assistance. For the shape of the US aid to Turkey, on July 12, 1947, ‘Agreement on Assistance to Turkey’ was made in Ankara between and the Turkish government the Government of the United States. A secret and highly classified report was prepared by a research group headed by General Oliver related to military aid and the Turkish Armed Forces and the aid began in the framework of the report. In this report it was stated that despite the fact that Turkish soldiers were well-trained and disciplined with patience and willing to protect their land under all circumstances risking death, there was no possibility of sustaining power for a possible Soviet Attack for a long time with the old model weapons, vehicles and cavalry also having very little mobility, especially due to inadequate sea and air forces. Turkey, compared to the armies participating in the World War II, kept behind in terms of weapons and technology. Naturally, other countries used all the possibilities of technology to develop weapons and vehicles, and made new discoveries during the war. Compared to the modern armies, mostly the Turkish army was based on infantry and cavalry with old model weapons. With the beginning of US military aid, commissioned and noncommissioned officers and civilian military personnel who went US to take various courses training, increased their knowledge and military cultures. The staff met with modern weapon systems and saw the standard of education and training of advanced armies. Despite the positive side, a large part of supplied military aid to Turkey in the framework of this agreement were used old weapons and supplies in World War II. Because the costs of maintenance and repair of the given weapons, tools, and equipment supplied only from this country, it prevented the development of the domestic defense industry and made it dependent on a single country. This was a factor that raised issues of foreign economic and hence political dependence of Turkey. Binding of bilateral agreements, particularly the agreement 1947, article 4 of which was in favor of the US, confronted Turkey’s interventions in the Cyprus problem in the coming years. They affected the political and military decisions of the Turkish governments adversely who wanted to move within the framework of national interests. Because US and its allies created difficulties from time to time, Turkey needed to establish a modern defense industry in order to eliminate the drawback of being dependent on other countries to meet its defense needs. In recent years, efforts have been made to reduce dependence on foreign sources in the national defense industry and the production of domestic weapons systems has been started.