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Special Message to the Congress Requesting Funds To Implement the U.S.-Turkey Defense Cooperation Agreement

June 16, 1976

To the Congress of the United States:

I am hereby requesting that Congress approve and authorize appropriations to implement the Agreement Between the Governments of the United States of America and of the Republic of Turkey Relative to Defense Cooperation Pursuant to Article III of the North Atlantic Treaty in Order to Resist Armed Attack in the North Atlantic Treaty Area, signed in Washington, March 26, 1976, and a related exchange of notes. Accordingly, I am transmitting herewith draft legislation in the form of a Joint Resolution of the Congress for this purpose.

The United States and Turkey have long enjoyed a close mutual security relationship under the North Atlantic Treaty, as well as bilateral cooperation in accordance with Article III of that Treaty. The new Agreement, like its predecessor, the Defense Cooperation Agreement of 1969 which this Agreement would supersede, implements the treaty. It has been signed as an executive agreement. The Agreement was negotiated with the understanding that it would be subject to Congressional approval and expressly provides that it shall not enter into force until the parties exchange notes indicating approval of the Agreement in accordance with their respective legal procedures. Full Congressional endorsement of this Agreement will give new strength and stability to continuing U.S.-Turkish security cooperation which has served as a vital buttress on NATO's southeast flank for more than two decades.

The new Agreement is consistent with, but not identical to, the preceding Defense Cooperation Agreement of 1969. Founded on mutual respect for the sovereignty of the parties, the Agreement (Articles II and III) authorizes U.S. participation in defense measures related to the parties' obligations arising out of the North Atlantic Treaty. It is understood that when the Agreement enters into force pursuant to Article XXI, activities will resume which were suspended by the Government of Turkey in July 1975, when the Turkish Government requested negotiation of a new defense cooperation agreement.

The Agreement provides a mutually acceptable framework for this important security cooperation. The installations authorized by the Agreement will be Turkish Armed Forces installations under Turkish command (Articles IV and v). Article V clearly provides for U.S. command and control authority over all U.S. armed forces personnel, other members of the U.S. national element at each installation, and U.S. equipment and support facilities.

The installations shall be operated jointly. In order to facilitate this objective, the United States is committed to a program of technical training of Turkish personnel.

Other provisions of the Agreement deal with traditional operational and administrative matters, including: operation and maintenance of the installations; ceilings on levels of U.S. personnel and equipment; import, export and in-country supply procedures; status of forces and property questions.

Article XIX specifies the amounts of defense support which the United States plans to provide Turkey during the first four years the Agreement remains in force. We have provided such support to this important NATO ally for many years to help Turkey meet its heavy NATO obligations. The Article provides that during the first four years the Agreement remains in force, the United States will furnish $1,000,000,000 in grants, credits and loan guaranties, to be distributed equally over these four years in accordance with annual plans to be developed by the Governments. It further provides that during the first year of the defense support program, $75 million in grants will be made available, with a total of not less than $200 million in grants to be provided over the four-year life of the program. The Article also sets forth our preparedness to make cash sales to Turkey of defense articles and services over the life of the Agreement.

The related exchange of notes details defense articles we are prepared to sell to the Republic of Turkey at prices consistent with U.S. law. It further provides for Turkish access to the U.S. Defense Communications Satellite System, and for bilateral consultations regarding cooperation in modernizing Turkish defense communications.

The defense support specified in Article XIX and in the related exchange of notes will be provided in accordance with contractual obligations existing and to be entered into by the Governments, and with the general practices applicable to all other recipient countries. The accompanying draft legislation accordingly provides that the generally applicable provisions of our foreign assistance and military sales Acts will govern this defense support, and that it will be exempted from the provisions of section 620(x) of the Foreign Assistance Act as amended. The draft legislation further provides that it fulfills the requirements of section 36(b) of the Foreign Military Sales Act as amended and section 7307 of Title 10 of the United States Code with respect to the transfer of materiel pursuant to the related exchange of notes.

The Agreement will have a duration of four years, and will be extended for subsequent four-year periods in the absence of notice of termination by one of the parties. As the four-year defense support program comes to an end, the Agreement provides for consultation on the development of a future program as required in accordance with the respective legal procedures of the two Governments. Article XXI stipulates the procedures under which the Agreement can be terminated by either party, and provides for a one-year period following termination during which the Agreement will be considered to remain in force for the purposes of an orderly withdrawal.

This Agreement restores a bilateral relationship that has been important to Western security for more than two decades. I believe it will promote U.S. interests and objectives on the vital southeastern flank of NATO and provide a framework for bilateral cooperation designed solely to reinforce NATO and our common security concerns. To the extent that the Agreement restores trust and confidence between the United States and Turkey, it also enhances the prospects for a constructive dialogue on other regional problems of mutual concern.

I therefore request that the Congress give this Agreement and the accompanying draft legislation prompt and favorable consideration, and approve its entry into force and authorize the appropriation of the funds necessary for it execution.

GERALD R. FORD

The White House,

June 16, 1976.

Gerald R. Ford, Special Message to the Congress Requesting Funds To Implement the U.S.-Turkey Defense Cooperation Agreement Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/257534

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