Mr. President, I have already had the pleasure of expressing the warmest congratulations of the Turkish delegation on your election to this high office. May I reiterate my best wishes for the successful accomplishment of your important duties. I would like also to pay tribute to your eminent predecessor, the retiring President, Mr. Belaunde, whose unceasing endeavours in the cause of peace and international understanding are so well known to each of us.
34. It is a great pleasure and privilege for me to address such a distinguished gathering in my capacity as the representative of the new Government in Turkey. It affords me great pleasure to extend to all the delegations present at this Assembly the greetings of the Turkish Government and its best wishes for the success of our deliberations.
35. You are aware that my country has been the scene recently of a series of important events which constitute a very significant stage in the long history of the Turkish nation. I am confident that all friends of Turkey have very fully grasped the profound significance of the historic events of 27 May 1960. Indeed, the compelling reasons for the birth of this movement in Turkey, the very essence of its inception and realization, reside in the sincere and ardent dedication of the Turkish people to the ideals of freedom, independence and democracy. Therefore, the significance to the Turkish people of the movement of 27 May is that it constitutes a fundamental and decisive phase in the establishment of a true democratic structure in the homeland; it marks the end of a regime which had abused the pure and inherent aspirations of the whole nation.
36. You are all familiar with the details of these events. It is for us a source of extreme gratification that the revolt against oppression, spontaneously espoused and supported by the Turkish people, was achieved rapidly and decisively, and most important, without bloodshed.
37. It is also noteworthy that, within the first few hours of its establishment the new Government of Turkey proclaimed to the country and the world at large its unfaltering allegiance to the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations Charter as well as to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and fundamental freedoms. As a matter of fact, the ideals that inspired the new Turkish Government are the high principles laid down by Kemal Atatürk who, having freed the country from foreign invasion, emancipated the Turkish people from autocratic rule and all other forms of bondage and ensured for the Turkish nation full opportunities for democratic, social, cultural and economic advancement.
38. The present Government of Turkey, having undertaken to carry out all necessary and urgent reform measures, is also working to provide a solid foundation for long-term social and economic development programmes of vital importance to the country. The first and most urgent problem in Turkey today is without doubt to ensure the fundamental conditions of democracy under the most effective guarantees. That is why our new administration considers it a primary task to draw up a new democratic constitution and a new electoral law; and to this end it has created an independent body composed of the most eminent and competent personalities of the country. The new constitution will be submitted upon its completion to the approval of the nation.
39. As you know, the Head of the Turkish State and Government announced recently that, not later than the fall of 1961, the present administration will be turned over to the new Government to emerge from the freely expressed will of the nation at the forthcoming elections.
40. At this point, I would like to clarify one most important aspect of the Turkish movement. It has been argued that those who carry out revolutionary movements do not voluntarily relinquish power to governments freely elected by the people. If that is true, there will most certainly be an exception in the case of Turkey.
41. Before turning to the world situation, I would like to mention, briefly, the matter of the major principles that guide the new Turkish Government in the field of foreign policy. These too have been stated in unequivocal terms immediately after the setting up of the new administration. They derive their inspiration from the general policy laid down by the late Kemal Atatürk and defined in his praiseworthy motto "Peace at home, Peace in the world”. The Turkish Government is determined to honour its existing international commitments, to remain faithful to its alliances, and to establish friendly and good-neighbourly relations with all countries near and far.
42. Guided by these principles, I would like to proceed to other aspects of international, relations. I believe that the fifteenth session of the General Assembly will go down as particularly memorable in the annals of our Organization since it has furnished us the happy opportunity of welcoming such an important number of new States which have attained independence and are here to contribute their share in achieving the objectives of the United Nations.
43. The cause of self-determination has come to constitute the most characteristic movement of our tape. The Turkish people, all through their history, have proven their devotion to the ideals of freedom, self-determination and independence. Therefore, it is a particular pleasure for me to be able to express personally the great satisfaction which the people and the Government of Turkey feel at this moment when we are afforded the possibility of working together in the cause of peace and international brotherhood with so many new States.
44. It is significant that such a large majority of the countries which have joined the United Nations in recent years are from the great continent of Africa. We are gratified to see that most of the countries of that continent have already achieved self-determination, and that others are soon to follow the same course. There is no doubt that the more universal character thus acquired by our Organization will contribute to its effectiveness in coping with world problems.
45. On the occasion of the admission of new Members to the United Nations, I would like also to mention specifically the Republic of Cyprus which has taken its rightful place among the free and peace-loving nations and in our Organization. My country, which has special and close relations with the young Republic of Cyprus, is particularly happy to congratulate the representatives of Cyprus on this achievement. The wisdom and the qualities of statesmanship shown by all whose common efforts have brought about this happy and harmonious achievement provide ample guarantees for the continuation of brotherly relations among all the inhabitants of Cyprus. The sons of this young Republic have set a brilliant example which merits praise and respect from each of us.
46. Looking upon the world situation in these opening days of the fifteenth session of the General Assembly and comparing it with that of the corresponding period last year, any objective observer must admit that unfortunately a number of recent trends constitute a deterioration in international relations. The atmosphere which prevailed during the fourteenth session had given us high hopes that a prompt start might be possible towards the settlement of many problems which have been at the root of international tension ever since the end of the Second World War. It is highly regrettable that our hopes and aspirations for the improvement of the general political atmosphere have failed to materialize. I do not believe that any positive advantage would be gained at this stage from a detailed discussion of the unfortunate chain of reasons and events which has brought us to the troubled international situation in which we find ourselves today. But I do believe that in these opening days of the current session we should direct our attention to the fact that all the nations of the world are represented right here in this Assembly; and we should endeavour to seize the unique opportunities afforded by such an important gathering for dispelling the clouds of distrust, fear and bitterness which have darkened the political horizon during recent months. The eyes of humanity are focussed anxiously upon this rostrum which will be occupied in turn by the representatives of each Member State represented here. Thus statements and comments from this rostrum may destabilize and increase even further the present tensions which cause concern and suffering to the nations of the world. As an alternative, the tone and character of our deliberations at this session can perform a great service to humanity by helping to decrease international tensions and open up new avenues for the solution of many problems in a healthier and more serene atmosphere.
47. It is my fervent hope that this second alternative will prevail. My delegation will do everything in its power to play a constructive part in this direction, in the plenary session no less than in the committees of the General Assembly.
48. I believe that all of us who sincerely desire genuine progress towards international security, peace and understanding will agree that there exist two fundamental prerequisites if the debates in this Assembly are to be successful in the direction we envisage. First of all, at a time such as the present when the prestige of the United Nations has risen to a peak never reached before, the misuse of this august Assembly for the purpose of expounding bitterness, mistrust and discord should be considered a flagrant contradiction of the Purposes and Principles of this Organization. In the second place, in all our deliberations and in seeking solutions to all our problems, we must constantly keep in mind that the use or the threat of force is outlawed by our Charter and that any attempt to exert pressure can only undermine international morality and thus impede any constructive international co-operation,
49. Looking at the main and specific items on our agenda, we see that there figures prominently among them a subject of vital importance for the future of mankind: I am referring to the problem of disarmament.
50. This vital issue is indissolubly linked with the question of international security and mutual confidence. On the one hand, even partial progress towards effectively controlled disarmament will invariably result in the opening of new avenues towards international understanding. On the other hand, a genuine improvement in international confidence and security will pave the way to the elimination of may obstacles which, up to now, have hindered progress in our efforts to achieve effectively controlled disarmament.
51. As a people devoted to peace and progress, the Turkish nation is aware of the advantages that would accrue from a general disarmament. Certainly, disarmament in confidence and security, under effective controls, would make it possible for the Turkish people to concentrate all their resources, manpower and energy on the attainment of the goal of a higher level of economic, cultural and social well-being to which Turkey, like other free and peace-loving nations, has dedicated itself.
52. That is why Turkey has unfailingly endeavoured to bring its own contribution to the solution of this vital issue ever since international conferences on the subject of disarmament were first inaugurated, both in the old League of Nations and in the United Nations. However, today the unprecedented destructive power of modern armaments, on the one hand, and the universal desire of peoples all over the world to attain a higher standard of living, on the other, make it imperative to concentrate on new and untiring efforts aimed at achieving true progress in the field of disarmament.
53. Consequently, all proposals capable of providing a solid foundation for a disarmament agreement that covers nuclear as well as conventional weapons and to be enforced under an effective system of international controls, should be examined with all due care and attention.
54. If we look back at the deliberations on disarmament during the past years, both here in the General Assembly and in the various committees which we established to study this problem, we may observe that much precious time was spent on the procedural methods of approach and the composition of the technical bodies appointed to this end. It may be true that all of these procedural aspects, including the size and the composition of the bodies assigned to make a first study of the question, are of considerable importance for the success of our joint efforts; but it is imperative to remember that an issue as vital as that of disarmament, one on which the fate of mankind might be at stake, should not, and cannot be, envisaged in terms of majorities and minorities by a show of hands. True progress in this field can only be obtained through a sincere determination on the part of all nations , and in particular of those possessing the largest quantities of armaments, to render the international atmosphere more propitious for a fruitful study of this question, and, secondly, to achieve at least an initial degree of accomplishment through concrete results. The fifteenth session of the General Assembly will constitute a challenge and an opportunity to test the sincerity of our determination in this direction.
55. The issues involved are of such vital importance for all mankind and the frustration of our efforts is fraught with dangers of such magnitude that we cannot afford to fail. I would like to note in this connexion that the ideas relative to the methods of approach to the problem of disarmament formulated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in the Introduction to his Annual Report [A/4390/Add.l] on the work of the Organization deserve to retain our attention and should be explored further.
56. The same report of the Secretary-General contains a great number of other ideas equally shared by my Government. I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to congratulate our Secretary-General on his concrete personal contributions to the cause of peace and international understanding. In particular, his accomplishments during the last few months have enhanced the prestige of our Organization all over the world. I wish to assure him of the full confidence of my Government and wish him continued success in his endeavours.
57. Among the major political problems to be discussed in the First Committee figures the question of Algeria. The tragic events, the bloodshed, and the ensuing human misery which have prevailed in Algeria for such a long period of time have caused sorrow and concern among the people of Turkey. My countrymen are imbued with fraternal sentiments for the gallant people of Algeria, and nurture sympathy for their legitimate aspirations. On the other hand, my country is also an ally of France, with which we have maintained friendly relations over a period of many centuries. Therefore, an early and peaceful settlement of this tragic issue, in justice and equity and in conformity with the legitimate aspirations of the Algerian, people within the Charter of the United Nations, is ardently desired by the people and the Government of Turkey. During the past year some important and positive developments have taken place in this direction. The President of the French Republic and, through his declaration, the French Government have accepted the principle of self-determination for Algeria. The Algerians for their part have accepted the principle of negotiation for a cease-fire under certain conditions. It is regrettable that no final agreement has been reached up to the present on the conditions and the content of these negotiations. Nevertheless, the gap which existed between the parties has been narrowed to a certain extent. We hope that no efforts will be spared by both parties to reach an agreement on the remaining points of contention. Such an agreement will undoubtedly serve the best interests of France as well as doing justice to the Algerian people.
58. Among the new countries which have attained independence this year, the Republic of the Congo is presently undergoing temporary difficulties. The prestige of the United Nations has been highly increased all over the world through the wise provisions of its resolutions on this question and through the effective and impartial action of those responsible for their implementation. I am confident that the independent Republic of the Congo will soon overcome its present temporary difficulties and that it will enter into a new era of progress and prosperity.
59. The vital importance of the political problems included in our agenda should never divert us into underestimating the equal importance of the tasks that confront the United Nations in the social and economic fields. The concerted struggle of all the Member States for a higher standard of living, for universal education, and for improved conditions of health and welfare in all parts of the world through efforts in this Organization and through other channels, is a matter which commands our constant attention.
60. In the opening portion of my statement I mentioned that the attainment of self-determination constitutes the most characteristic trend of our times. No one can deny that political independence and self-determination are closely linked to economic, social and cultural advancement. Wide margins of disparity in economic, social and cultural levels, whether within a country itself or between the various regions of our globe, cannot provide favourable conditions for the establishment of lasting, harmonious and peaceful relations in the world. Today, the majority of the Members of this Organization come under the category of underdeveloped countries. Most of these countries are eager to attain economic maturity in as brief a period of time as possible. In their struggle towards this goal they face severe hardships arising in most cases from the lack of capital or capital goods and of technical know-how. Much has been done under the aegis of the United Nations and the specialized agencies to bring assistance in these fields to a great number of countries. But the problem is of such magnitude and its solution is so essential to the welfare of mankind in our time that it demands tireless efforts backed by utmost enthusiasm and imagination.
61. The attainment of independence by so many countries and the coming of age of the great continent of Africa necessitate the acceleration and the increase in quantity of economic and technical assistance rendered within the framework of the United Nations. In this connexion it is a pleasure for me to note that a United Nations team has been sent to the young Republic of Cyprus to examine the economic conditions prevailing there and to determine the type of technical assistance which would best suit the needs of the Island.
62. In conclusion, I wish to state that during the course of deliberations in the appropriate Committees, and in collaboration with all other delegations, my delegation will spare no efforts to support constructive proposals for the harmonious and positive solution of all matters which figure on our agenda. I also wish to reiterate the earnest hope of my Government and of the Turkish people that the Fifteenth Session of the General Assembly may successfully perform its task, furthering the cause of international co-operation and understanding, of peace and security.
63. We have every confidence that under your able guidance this session will achieve substantial progress in the solution of important problems and thus provide all mankind with cause for fresh hope in their pursuit of happiness and well-being in a world in which peace and justice shall reign supreme.