Office of the Historian

362. Telegram From the Embassy in Turkey to the Department of State0

Ankara, May 10, 1960, 9 a.m.

2514. Over past week Embassy has had several long conversations with representatives RPP Research Bureau (who close to RPP thinking) and RPP Deputies which seem give important lead on present thinking RPP. On May 4 Coskun Kirca came to Embassy for long conversation (Embtel 2463),1 returning later to see political counselor with Osman Okyar whom RPP Secretary General Aksal described on earlier occasion as person who spoke for him. Both were seen again over past weekend and Embassy representative has been in regular contact with Turgut Yegenagac, as well as seeing Bulent Ecevit and Turhan Feyzioglu. From these conversations the following points stand out [less than 1 line of source text not declassified]:

1.
RPP considers next two weeks to be most critical in present period of political unrest with much depending on how far government will attempt to go in carrying out “repressive measures” against opposition.
2.
Inonu has give firm instructions that there are to be no RPP demonstrations or riots until selection of local events becomes more clear.
3.
RPP particularly worried about possible uprising in east as stories of Istanbul/Ankara demonstrations penetrate or as students return their villages. They fear that should demonstrations start in east they would take much more serious form than rather mild student demonstrations so far observed.
4.
RPP would obviously like some statement from USG disassociating itself from present government repressive measures. Kirca proposed suspension economic assistance, while Okyar frankly stated this appeared going too far but he feared for complete harmony future Turk/American relations if US would not at least in public statement express (A) concern over recent public demonstrations and (B) hope that solution could be found in free elections. (Both Kirca and Okyar told in some detail by Embassy representatives that we considered this problem to be settled by Turkish people and US would not intervene in internal affairs of sovereign ally.)
5.
Kirca confirms that feelers for Inonu/Menderes meeting have been advanced through RPP Deputy and RPP journalist (Embtel 2484).2 He says reply would be RPP trusts neither Menderes, Bayar nor Koraltan but would meet with any other responsible DP leader on basis of returning to legislative situation which prevailed in Turkey May 14, 1950. (Reported approach for Menderes/Inonu meeting has circulated so widely in Diplomatic Corps over weekend that Embassy instinctively questions it and certainly reply outlined above would not under present circumstances make any such meeting a possibility.)

Warren
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 782.00/5–1060. Confidential. Repeated to Istanbul, Izmir, and Iskenderun.↩
  2. Telegram 2463, May 6, reported on the analysis of the situation in Turkey by RPP leaders and concluded that it was unlikely that Menderes would willingly bow to the opposition. (Ibid., 782.00/5–560)↩
  3. Dated May 7. (Ibid., 782.00/5–760)↩