DOCUMENT Turkey Has Long Had Nuclear Dreams Ankara has been contemplating developing nuclear weapons since the 1960s BY COLUM LYNCH NOVEMBER 1 2019 2 32 PM In September Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told members of his party that it is time for his country to acquire its own nuclear bomb Such a move would mark a sharp break from previous obligations by Turkey a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty which bars non-nuclear states from acquiring nuclear weapons But this is not the first time that Turkey—which has played host to U S nuclear weapons since the late 1950s— has craved its own nuclear weapons program As part of our Document of the Week series Foreign Policy is posting a copy of a Sept 26 1966 memo describing to then-Ambassador Parker T Hart a troubling conversation Clarence Wendel the U S minerals attache at the U S Embassy in Ankara had with a “reliable” Turkish scientist on Turkey’s nuclear ambitions The memo one of 20 previously declassified documents on nuclear weapons in Turkey compiled this week by the National Security Archive claims the source disclosed that officials from Turkey’s General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration “had been asked to cooperate with General Refik Tulga and Professor Omer Inonu Professor of Physics at METU Middle East Technical University in a Turkish program to develop an ‘Atomic Bomb ’” Wendel according to the memo had flagged a number of developments suggesting the claim may be credible including “Repeated Turkish assertions that a 200 mega-watt nuclear reactor is planned for Istanbul” the stockpiling of reserves of 300 to 600 tons of uranium in low-grade ore deposits and the “delaying and haggling tactics of the Turkish negotiators during discussions of the extension of the bilateral agreement on peaceful uses of atomic energy which primarily concerned the transfer of safeguards responsibility from the U S A to the International Atomic Energy Agency ” Hart was skeptical that Turkey was bent on going nuclear but he considered that it may have been preparing a contingency plan in the event that a nuclear arms race gained momentum in the region They may be “simply putting themselves in a position to jump on the bandwagon in case there should be further serious breaks in the line against proliferation ” he wrote to John Howison the Turkey country director in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Much of the history of the U S deployment of nuclear weapons in Turkey as part of a wider European deterrent force remains classified But several documents compiled by the archive detail discussions related to the deployment of Honest John and Jupiter missiles in Turkey in 1959 and the early 1960s and persistent concerns about the risk that they might be seized in the event that U S relations with a future Turkish leader deteriorated Relations with Turkey have been particularly strained in recent weeks as Erdogan ordered an invasion of northern Syria in an attempt to crush Kurdish forces that have served as critical allies in the U S -led war against the Islamic State terrorist movement In response officials from the U S State and Energy departments began a review of contingency plans for the possible evacuation of some 50 tactical nuclear weapons stored at Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base according to a report in the New York Times t l---- OECL ASS ED -----· _ ' r y j l fitl1'i « - _ · Reproduced at the National A VJ II qr sq - j fl Y t1A l' ' 0 'f • '111 ln1J' __ · - · · f J L ECRET DEPARTMENT OF ATE NGff - JE_ 4 4991 ASSISTANT SECRETARY q J1 t O J Zl consis - i ge 1 f- This document No _I_ of 6 copies October 6 1966 TO I FROM NEA - Stuart W Rockwell SUBJECT Turkish Interest in Atomic Weapon Development I believe it would be preferable for S S to arrange appropriate distribution of the attached September 30 letter and enclosure from Ambassador Hart reporting possible Turkish interest in atomic weapons development t t l l We have retained copies of these documents for our own use ·- ' ' Attadhments Lette·r and enclosure GROUP 3 Downgraded at 12-year intervals not automatically declassified SECRET MICROFILMED BY S S CMS NEA TUR MDraper he s SBICRft This document consists ot pages No 1 ot oopies series A EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Ankara Turke r ' t • _ 1 September 30 1966 OFJICIAL-INJORMAL 1ohn M Howison Ksquire Countr r Director for Turke r Bureau of Near Bastern and South Aeian Affairs Department of S' ate Washington D C Dear 1ohn The enclosed -orandwa to me from our Minerals Attache Science Officer Clarence Wendel on possible Turkish ambitions to develop an atoaic weapon is obviously a matter of considerable delicao r and for this reason we have decided not to report it in routine fashion b r means of an irgram I leave it to you to pass on this inforaation to such people in Washington as you deem should have it I aa keeping distribution limited here to a few senior officers including General Evans and 1obn Leavitt We will of course keep our eyes and ears open for an r further signs of Turkish aotivit r which might indicate preparations for atomic weapon production U7 preliminary assessment is that the Turks are not preparing to follow in tba oa ts tepa __ __thft Fr oi QiLb_ t are si ly putting them elve -- p - t_io to Jump on_ the andwago ·· - 88 fliers idldUICI 0 'l irther serious breaks in the line against pl Ori·teration • · -----·-· Bnoloaure Meaorandua Septeaber 26 1966 GROUP 1 IZoluded troa autoaatio downgradinc and deo1asaif1oat1on SBCRIT Reproduced at the Nabona I I f C-0-P-Y TO C-0-P-Y SIORlllT -The Ambassador September 26 1966 THRU OOU - Ur Martin FROM Scienoe Ottioer - Ur Wendel SUBJICT Reported TGS Ambitions for Development ot Atomio Weapon A source considered reliable trom the Turkish Scientific Research Colincil by telephone requested an appointment at m7 otfioe September 23 He appeared within a halt hour and after mentioning a routine matter oonneoted with an international oonterenoe with obvious agitation disclosed a matter whioh he had learned just the evening before from the General Direotor ot the M T A The M T A Director Alpan had been asked to cooperate with General Tulga and Professor Omer Inonu Professor of Physics at METU in a Turkish program to develop an Atomic Bomb Souroe thought that suoh a program was one whioh would absorb too muoh of Turkish soientitio and financial resources Without noticeable ranoor or desire to impugn the subject he mentioned that Professor Inonu had been to Russia last swmner When I observed that this plan of General Tulga•s was probabl7 seoret in view of its obvious militar7 and political implications he said he realized that but wanted me to know of it nevertheless Connent Some indications support the possible oredibilit7 of this stor1 1 Repeated Turkish assertions that a 200 mega-watt nuclear reactor is planned tor Istanbul 2 The emphasis and expenditures of the M T A during the last six or seven 7ears on uranium exploration resulting in indicated reserves ot 300-600 tons ot uranium in lowgrade ore deposits The dela7ing and haggling taotios ot the Turkish negotiators during discussions ot the extension of the bilateral agreement on peaceful uses of atomic energ1 which primaril1 concerned the transfer of safeguards responsibility from the U S A to the International Atomic Energ1 Agency 3 i ·T4 _ dA o al'- Tc u et 111 t - •1 u i J r v iM 1 -1 1-'l k l ' f lM • ' a hih s h tv f C-0-P-Y SECRET lt f t 1u 1 · C- 9-P-Y i t · 1 r 1G s Reproduced at the National Al i c o-P-Y 0-0-P-Y 2 under a trilateral agreement Of particular interest were reservations expressed at times regarding the applioabilit7 of these safeguards to new reaotor taoilities -- a point whioh was not relevant to the present agreement and whioh as the U S representatives suggested could be covered by a subsequent power reaotor bilateral agreement CAWendel om C-0-P-Y SECRET C-0-P-Y