July 31, 1975
Page 26525
TURKISH AID
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I was among those who originally supported a suspension of military assistance to Turkey. The invasion of Cyprus by Turkish forces seemed to me to be a clear-cut violation of the Foreign Military Sales Act, the Foreign Assistance Act, and the agreement under which Turkey accepted the arms. When Turkey invaded Cyprus, the suspension of military aid should have been automatic under the law. When the administration failed to implement the law, Congress acted simply to insist that it be enforced.
The law which the Congress insisted be observed is a sound one: Nations which receive our military aid should understand that aid will be revoked when it is used contrary to American interests and for purposes which have nothing to do with legitimate self-defense. The administration, however, argued that this action of Congress greatly reduced the administration's diplomatic flexibility in dealing with the Cyprus crisis. It was said that the ability of the United States to deal constructively with Turkey had been seriously undermined.
Consequently, the administration urged the Congress in the strongest possible terms to reconsider its action.
What was involved in this controversy between the administration and the Congress was a matter of judgment: Would a resumption of military assistance to Turkey in fact lead to a more flexible and constructive attitude on the part of the Turkish government? Or would the resumption of aid reduce the pressure on the Government of Turkey to negotiate seriously over Cyprus?
When this issue was presented to the Senate, I made the judgment that the administration should be given the benefit of the doubt. After all, the responsibility for conducting the day-to-day business of U.S. foreign policy belongs to the President and the Secretary of State. Those individuals were adamant on the issue. So, after careful thought and with some continued misgivings, I supported the Senate bill which would have suspended the prohibitions then in effect against military assistance to Turkey.
What we are faced with today is quite a different situation. In retaliation against the suspension of military assistance, the Turks have occupied a number of our military bases in that country. Today, according to press reports, the Turkish government rejected an offer by our Government to compromise the matter with $50 million in military assistance grants which the law permits the President to offer notwithstanding the embargo on military sales and credits.
I deeply regret the decision of the Turkish government to reject this effort at an interim compromise solution.
Because of the Turkish action in occupying the bases and in rejecting the compromise offered today, the U.S. Government and the Congress have been placed in a most difficult position. For the Congress to reverse itself in response to the recent Turkish actions would set a most undesirable precedent which could adversely affect the U.S. position in many other countries in which we have military bases. In all such countries, we can only assume that a direct U.S. military presence is consistent with the security interests of the host country. As Secretary Kissinger said in a speech last month :
We assume that our friends regard their ties to us as serving their own national purposes, not as privileges to be granted and withdrawn as a means of pressure. Where this is not the mutual perception, then clearly it is time for change.
In my judgment the Turkish government is acting in a way which raises serious questions about its own foreign policy objectives, its perception of its own security interests, and the depth of its commitment to NATO. If Turkey does not feel the existence of American bases in that country is consistent with its own security interests, the government should clearly say so. I do not believe the American people have any desire to support American bases in an inhospitable environment.
I therefore cannot support any attempt at this time, and under these circumstances, to reverse the policy of Congress. I deeply regret that the situation should have developed in this way, but I believe we now have no choice but to hold firm to the arms aid embargo until Turkey clarifies its real interests and its policy concerning the U.S. bases and its membership in the NATO Alliance.
Therefore, I will support the motion to commit the bill now before us to the Foreign Relations Committee.