When American warships sailed within six miles of the Soviet Black Sea coast March 13, the verbal wrath Moscow unleashed was only slightly more acerbic than that directed at visiting U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz by his Turkish hosts 10 days later.
Both events illustrated the major role Turkey, a U.S. ally within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), plays in the East-West conflict.
Shultz was in Turkey in hopes of initialing an agreement on the continued use by the United States of at least 15 military installations, ranging from electronic listening posts high in the mountains of the northeast facing Soviet Armenia and Iran, to the U.S. Air Force base in Ankara. The agreement on the bases expired December 31, 1985. It is being extended conditionally by the Turks, who seek greater access to U.S. markets for their textiles and a larger allotment of U.S. foreign aid.
A startled Shultz was verbally flailed during his visit as he attended a luncheon in Istanbul held in his honor. Only the day before his hosts had sealed off the entire, vast, covered Great Bazaar, so Mr. And Mrs. Shultz and their two dozen retainers could shop. During the luncheon, Sakip Sabanci, chairman of the Turkish industrialists' and Businessmen's Association, told Shultz that Washington should assist Turkey "not by aid, but by facilitating our export performance."
Sabanci referred to the U.S. quota on Turkish textile imports, which was $120 million last year. Turkey is asking that the quota be raised to $400 million. In 1984, bilateral trade ran three to one in favor of America.
The next day, Foreign Minister Vahit Halefoglu said that the Turks are "shocked" that "the United States Congress, acting at the instigation of another ally [Greece], decided to weaken our armed forces. Our membership in [NATO] has served our collective defense well," he said. Halefoglu referred to the continual hold-up by Congress, apparently under pressure from the powerful Greek lobby in Washington, on increased military aid and sales for Turkey. NATO's only Islamic member has the third largest army--800,000 men--in the alliance and the most outdated equipment.
Currently, Turkey receives nearly $1 billion yearly in military and economic aid. Ankara is seeking about $500 million more. Much of its equipment dates back to World War II, and the Turkish Air Force is trying to gain delivery of 120 F-16 fighter-bombers it has already agreed to buy.
Sensitive equipment
The American warships that sailed along the Soviet coast were equipped with electronic sensors. According to a White House spokesman, they were simply exercising "the right of innocent passage,…consistent with Soviet law." Sailing along the edge of the Soviets' 12-mile sea limit, the ships passed closer as they crossed an area between two peninsulas. To save time and sailing distance, international maritime law usually allows a warship not belonging to a participant in a relevant conflict to cut across a nation's territorial waters.
Moscow, via the TASS press agency, said "such violations can have
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