Turkey

At the outset, I wish to offer my heartiest congratulations to Sir Leslie Munro on his election to the presidency of this Assembly. In adding my tribute to the sentiments expressed by other delegations, I wish to reiterate the confidence which we all share in his eminent qualifications for meeting the heavy responsibilities that accompany the honour and dignity of that high office. 48. I am equally happy to express the gratification of my delegation at the re-election of Mr. Hammarskjold as our Secretary-General. Mr. Hammarskjold has won general recognition for his outstanding qualities of statesmanship and his profound understanding of the problems facing our Organization. His re-election is indeed a happy and propitious event for the United Nations. 49. The eleventh session of the General Assembly ended some two weeks ago, having had to deal in its deliberations with some problems of outstanding importance concerning, in some instances, the preservation of peace, and, in others, the defence of the most elementary human rights. The eleventh session was successful in certain tasks which confronted it. It failed to produce any noticeable progress in some of its other endeavours. Throughout those deliberations, however, a principle of vital importance gained ground: the cause of the pacific settlement of disputes, in justice and security, has taken deeper root in the hearts of millions of human beings who have followed our proceedings. May the twelfth session contribute further to this end. 50. The unanimous admission of Malaya to membership in the United Nations is a happy and auspicious event which took place during the first deliberations of this session. The cause of freedom and independence is one which is very dear to my countrymen, as it is to the majority of mankind. It is therefore a great pleasure and privilege for me to extend, on behalf of the people and the Government of Turkey, our heartiest congratulations and our warmest welcome to the Federation of Malaya, as we did last year to Ghana. 51. Among the many vital problems which await consideration by this session of the Assembly, the problem of disarmament stands out as of paramount importance for the cause of peace and security as well as for furthering economic and social progress. 52. The policy of Turkey, both within and without the United Nations, remains based on the conviction that enduring peace can be attained only through security, and that real security can be achieved only through a universal, general disarmament, including provisions for nuclear as well as conventional weapons, such disarmament to be enforced by effective international control. This is the ultimate goal towards which we must strive. This is a goal for the achievement of which we must be ready to study patiently any constructive, progressive steps. 53. We believe that practical proposals to this end, if they are brought forward in goodwill and sincerity, must take into consideration two basic elements, which are interdependent and which form the main pillar around which the structure of disarmament can be progressively erected. First comes the preservation of security and, secondly, the gradual build-up of mutual confidence. There is no other item on our agenda with which the fate and destiny of mankind is so closely linked. We are ardent in our desire to see even the beginning of an agreement achieved in this direction. 54. It is only natural that Turkey should be ready to play its part, even if a modest one, towards the achievement of progress in disarmament. Turkey is a profoundly peace-loving nation. The people of Turkey have no other aspiration but that of devoting their work and resources to the attainment of a higher level of economic and social welfare. If a heavy burden of armaments has been assumed by my countrymen, this has not been a matter of choice but the result of dire necessity, due to the conditions which unfortunately prevail in the world today. Needless to say, the Turkish people would be the first to rejoice over any achievement, even though partial, in the direction of disarmament in confidence and security. 55. We believe that the adoption of measures on conventional as well as nuclear types of armament and the establishment of effective international control are essential for achieving real progress in this question, in which the future of mankind has so much at stake. 56. It is indeed most unfortunate that the world has not yet attained that state of true peace, security and stability to which we aspire and to the achievement of which the Charter is dedicated. Ever since the end of the Second World War, the peoples of the world have been kept on a constant alert and anxiety for the preservation of peace, for the defence of their freedom and independence, for the- maintenance of security and confidence, which are all indispensable for the pursuit of happiness and the attainment of a higher level of economic and social development. 57. Although the threat of complete destruction, in the event of a third world war, weighs heavily upon the shoulders of every nation in the world, still there is no part of our globe which has had more to lose from the perpetuation of tension and anxiety than the general region of Asia and Africa. The peoples of that general area are eager for technical development, for industrialization, for the attainment of a higher economic, social and cultural level, and, above all, they are eager to preserve their freedom, independence and sovereignty. Yet the tragedy of Korea, the anxiety over certain actions in parts of South-East Asia and the Pacific, as well as in other regions, the concentration of a violent political propaganda, have each in their turn disturbed profoundly the tranquillity and stability of that region of which my country also forms a part. 58. At the present moment, the attention of the world is focused upon the Middle East. Since the end of the Second World War, the outstanding achievement in the Middle East has been the attainment of full independence and sovereignty by the Arab countries of the region. This happy development is considered by the people and the Government of Turkey as of paramount importance for paving the way towards a bright and prosperous future for the independent nations of the Middle East. 59. Nor is this attitude a new outlook on the part of Turkey. At the end of the First World War, for a brief period, Turkey had to live through some of the darkest days in its history. After four years of futile war, the very existence of Turkey as an independent sovereign State was in danger. In those tragic circumstances, on 28 January 1920, the Turkish Chamber of Deputies voted a resolution called the National Pact. Several articles of that document proclaimed the integrity and sovereignty of territories inhabited by Turks. The first article proclaimed and demanded self-determination for territories inhabited by Arabs, which territories were at that time under foreign occupation. So, in the darkest and most difficult years of its history, Turkey proclaimed the freedom and independence of its own people and, at the same time, of the Arab people. 60. Later on, during the negotiations for the Treaty of Lausanne, Turkey refused to accept any provision which might directly or indirectly imply its approval of the system of mandates over Arab countries. 61. At a still later period, in 1932, when Turkey was admitted to membership in the League of Nations, our acceptance was carefully conditioned not to imply recognition of the mandates over Arab countries which were applied within the framework of the League. 62. Today, too, we consider the full independence and sovereignty of the Arab countries as one of the essential prerequisites for the establishment of peace and security and the progressive development of the Middle East towards a bright destiny. 63. I believe that these considerations will shed ample light on the reasons why both public opinion and the Government in my country should have shown concern and anxiety over the recent increase of efforts made by the Soviet Union in regard to the Middle East in general and Syria in particular. 64. We, in Turkey, have affection and respect for the people of Syria with whom, as with all Arab nations, we are linked by cultural, religious and historic ties. We value the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and consider a strong, prosperous and independent Syria on our southern border as an additional guarantee of our own security. 65. That is the reason why the recent events in that country are being followed by my Government with attention and concern from the viewpoint of our own security. The fact that these recent events took place concurrently with a campaign of propaganda and false rumours aimed at discrediting my country and spoiling our relations with our southern neighbours has made caution and vigilance on our part even more necessary. 66. Allegations of this nature have been made by a powerful country with which we have long common frontiers to the north. If a reserve of arms and ammunition were to be constituted by the same country on our southern flank, my Government would naturally be in duty bound to its people to appraise, in calm and dignity, the significance of such an event from the viewpoint of our own security and to take such internal measures within our own frontiers as were customary in all independent countries desiring to live in peace and security. 67. I should now like to turn to some aspects of our work within the United Nations. 68. First and foremost, in our minds, are the problems connected with the Organization itself and with its future development. It is, therefore, with special care that we have studied the views of the Secretary-General in the introduction to his annual report [A/ 3594/Add.1]. The comments of the Secretary-General on the role of the United Nations on the real causes of its limitations and on the possibilities it affords for harmonizing the views of its Members, deserve our special attention. Among other considerations, the Secretary-General points out that the United Nations is not a super-State or a parliament of elected individual members. In spite of these limitations, he stresses the great value of the United Nations as an instrument for negotiation and diplomacy which are conducive to reconciliation. The views of the Secretary-General on the role of the United Nations and the evolutionary processes which are taking place within our Organization are generally accepted by my Government. 69. On the question of the revision of the Charter, we also share the view of the Secretary-General that mere constitutional reforms would not be sufficient for the solution of our problems. However, my delegation would welcome certain revisions in our Charter, after careful study and at a time when a favourable atmosphere prevailed. In the meantime, we would favour at least a limited number of readjustments, which could be brought about in a relatively short time. Among these we would support measures for an appropriate increase in the membership of the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council, so that the new Members of the United Nations might have more ample opportunity to participate directly in the work of these organs. 70. The agenda of the twelfth session includes a great number of political, social and economic questions which await the deliberation of the General Assembly. 71. Among the political questions, that of Cyprus is of particular interest to my country because this island lies off the shores of Turkey and because part of its population is Turkish. As our views on this question are known to the General Assembly, and as a debate will take place in the First Committee, I shall not make any further comments during the general debate. 72. In the economic field, my Government is most anxious to see the continuance and the increase of appropriate action by the organs of the United Nations, by the specialized agencies and by individual Governments for the development of under-developed areas. The continents of Asia and Africa and Latin America today are most in need of concentrated efforts in this direction. 73. I now wish to refer to Article 52 of the Charter on regional arrangements, and to the role of my country in conformity with the provisions laid down therein. Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and of the Baghdad Pact, both of which are defensive organizations created for the purpose of maintaining peace and collective security. NATO has already played an outstanding role in the preservation of peace. The Baghdad Pact is aimed not only at bolstering collective security, but has also opened new possibilities for economic and cultural co-operation among its members, which have a total population of 140 millions in the Middle East. We are convinced that the first steps already taken within the provisions of this regional arrangement will be conducive to further development and progress among the countries of the area. 74. Before concluding my remarks, I wish to welcome as an auspicious event, the opening in a few days of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency. My delegation is of the opinion that every Member of the General Assembly should be congratulated on the successful outcome of the debate which took place at the tenth session on certain aspects of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Progress in the peaceful uses of atomic energy opens up new horizons for international co-operation in a field which holds bright promises for the attainment of a higher standard of life r the peoples of the world. We are convinced that the deliberations of the Vienna conference will be crowned with success. 75. I hope that the twelfth session of the General Assembly will bring forth other opportunities to enhance international co-operation.