Turkey stalls on vital U.S. bases

Press, 10 May 1979, Page 9

Turkey stalls on vital U.S. bases

NZPA-Reuter Turkey A special envoy of President Jimmy Carter left Turkey after inconclusive talks with Government officials on the future of United States bases in Turkey. Retention of the bases is considered in Washington as vital for monitoring Soviet compliance with the projected new Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. The Turkish Prime Minister (Mr Bulent Ecevit) said after meeting the envoy, a Deputy Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, that the United States had still not responded to Turkish demands for the continued use cf the bases — including economic and military conditions. Mr Christopher had four hours of hard bargaining with the Turkish Prime Min-

ister after flying in on Monday night. A further hour of unscheduled talks yesterday appeared to reflect disagreement over the Turkish demands.

President Carter, who sent special message to the 1 urkish Prime Minister through Mr Christopher, is anxious to obtain a solid agreement on the United States bases, including the setting up of two sophisticated scanning stations, to encourage Congress to approve the S.A.L.T. II accord with the Russians. After the fall of the Shah in Iran, where the United States used to monitor Soviet movements, the bases in Turkey have taken on added importance as the United States last remaining listening posts with access to the southern Soviet Union. The United States has had military bases in Turkey for many years. But the Turks closed them down after the United States imposed an arms embargo in 1974 in response to the Turkish invasion of northern Cyprus.

When the United States lifted the embargo last September, the Turks reopened some of the bases provisionally for one year. That agreement expires on October 1, leaving the Americans little time to get a longerterm accord to satisfy Congress that Soviet compliance with the S.A.L.T. II treaty can be monitored.

Mr Ecevit gave no details today of Turkey’s conditions for full reopening of the United States bases. But he said earier Turkey expects more United States help in overcoming its desperate economic plight. He said President Carter’s message to him promised that the United States would do everything in its power to speed up international economic aid, being worked out by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development.