TURKEY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0002051501
• Release Decision: IPPUB U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: October 27, 2011
• Case Number: F-2011-00832
• Publication Date: May 30, 1960

(b)(1)
NSC BRIEFING
- tWw
I. Planning for the 27 May military coup began no later than early
May--possibly as early as February. The coup planning was engineered,
by younger officers who offered the leadership of the new regime
to senior officersO(t L yyuYvyu,
A. Dissatisfaction had been growing within the army for several
years as a result of:
1. Menderes' attempted use of the army to suppress his politi-
cal opposition;
2. Sympathy for opposition leader Ismet Inonu and the university
students, who were severely restricted by Menderes; and
3. Reports of corruption at high levels within government, par-
ticularly in the use of foreign aid funds.
II. While it likely that some leaders of the opposition Republican Peoples
Party were aware of plans for the coup, they apparently did not par-
ticipate actively in either the planning or action phases.
A. Inonu repeatedly has declared he wishes to come to power by
elections--not by military coup.
B. The leadership of the present ovbernment is friendly to Inonu,
se..
however, and his advice p robabl S wiyll ` be sought as problems promrinse.
III. Members of the previous government, including Menderes and the top
military leaders, are under arrest.
APPROVED FOR RELEASEL
DATE: 13-Oct-2011
new government has announced that those arrested--about 200
in be tried by civilian courts if charges., are brought,,
PLO
against them.
30 May 1960
DA 1E f_VV1 REVI VVER:
 IV. We have had no reports of significant opposition to the coup.
On the contrary, there have been gala celebrations in Ankara and
Istanbul.
A. Peasants, among whom Menderes found his basic support, are
expected to accept the takeover with little, if any, outward
display of opposition.
B. There is a possibility that there will be trouble in south-
eastern Turkey, the stronghold of a Kurdish minority. Kurdish
leaders, some of whom favor an independent Kurdistan, may try
to capitalize on any confusion in Ankara in order to further
this objective.
V. The new government is a mixture of professional officers and non-
partisan civilian technical experts.
A. The "Committee of National Unity," which assumed power immediately
after the coup, is led by General Cemal Gursel and contains three
other senior army generals, one air force general, and two
admirals.
1. Gursel is 65. He has been on enforced retirement since 5
May when he protested against the use of the army in politics.
2, While Gursel is publicly proclaimed: as the new leader of the
nation, .we are continuing to. watch ;for indications that the
real power may be in other hands.,:; ..No such indications have
been received thus far.
B. The 18-member cabinet announced on 28 May contains 15 civilians an
3 officers--including Gursel, who holds the posts of premier and
minister of national defense. Several university professors are
included, The new minister of foreign affairs--Selim Sarper--
is a long-time diplomat with experience at NATO and the UN.
 VI. The new government says it will re-establish democracy and main-
tain previous foreign policies.
A. A group of legal experts has been selected to re-write the
constitution. A bi-cameral legislature is to replace the uni-
cameral Grand National Assembly, which has been dissolved.
A court to rule on constitutional matters will also be established
Under the previous constitution the Grand National Assembly had
unlimited power.
B. Gursel has promised "free elections" as soon as possible.
1. It is doubtful that this will be possible before autumn.
Failure to move rapidly toward elections, however, could
lead to early disenchantment with the new regime.
2. While elections might be "free" in the general sense of
the term, it seems clear that the present government will not
permit members of the previous administration to regain
rl
power.
C. Gursel has assured the US and other allies that Turkey will
remain loyal to all past alliances. We do not foresee any basic
change in Turkish foreign policy.
(Note: We have learned (that the Turkish
coup has had significant repercussions in Iran.
spread activity among groups favoring a similar overthrow of the Shah's
government.)
 NSC BRIEFING 30.May 1960
I. Born: Erzurum, Turkey. 1895.
II. Military Career:
1915: Graduated from military.
- academy.
1915-18: Served in World War I at Dardanelles and in Palestine as
artillery officer and later as member of General Staff.
1919-22: Participated in Turkish War of Independence.
1929: Graduated from Army War Academy.
1929-57: Held various command and staff posts, including: Chief of
Intelligence .of the -General Staff and Commander of the
Mountain Training Center. Also held positions of Division
and Corp Commander and Chief of Staff of a Field Army.
1946: Promoted to Brigadier General.
1948: Promoted to Major General.
1952: Promoted to Lieutenant General.
1957: Promoted to General and became Commanding General of Third
Turkish Army.
Ns frame ~St ~.~ , ;%c L cu e p .
5 May 1660: Retired in protest over use of army n poli ics