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Remarks Announcing Decision by the Turkish Government To Ban Cultivation of Opium Poppies.

June 30, 1971

Mr. Secretary, Mr. Ambassador, ladies and gentlemen:

The joint announcement that is being made at this time in Washington and Ankara represents, by far, the most significant breakthrough that has been achieved in stopping the source of supply of heroin in our worldwide offensive against dangerous drugs.

Sixty percent of all opium poppy, which is, of course, the raw material from which heroin is made, is grown in Turkey.1 As a result of negotiations that have been taking place between the United States Government and the Turkish Government, the Turkish Government has made a decision that it is announcing today, which means that the cultivation of opium poppy in Turkey will completely cease within one year, by June of 1972.

1 The President was referring to the fact that experts have estimated that 60 percent or more of the heroin entering the United States in recent years has been processed (elsewhere) from opium poppies grown in Turkey.

This very courageous and statesmanlike action deserves the appreciation of all the people of the world, and the people of the United States. The credit goes, of course, to the Turkish Prime Minister and his Government, and a great deal of credit in our Government goes to the Secretary of State, who has taken personal leadership in achieving this objective on our part, and, of course, Ambassador Handley, who represents us so well in Ankara.

The Secretary of State will brief you on the details of the announcement. I want to say, Mr. Ambassador, we are very proud at this particular time to see that one of our best friends in the world, a staunch ally, has moved so effectively against one of the most dangerous threats to our young people and other people by stopping the source of supply of the opium poppy, as you have done.

Note: The President spoke at 9:06 a.m. in the Briefing Room at the White House.

On the same day, the White House released the transcript of a news briefing on the Turkish decision by Secretary of State William P. Rogers and Turkish Ambassador to the United States Melih Esenbel.

Richard Nixon, Remarks Announcing Decision by the Turkish Government To Ban Cultivation of Opium Poppies. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/240327

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