Crisis in Turkey Puts U.S. on Spot: U.S. Refrains Then What?
Is heading for a political and economic crisis which seems certain to involve the United States in a painful decision in about nine monthÛªs time.</br></br>One aspect of the impending crisis is the country's deteriorating balance of payments position and the internal inflationary curve. Another is the rising internal political tension. Third is the deadline for holding the next general elections.</br></br>The decision which will confront the United States1 sometime next spring will be whether to bail out the regime of Premier Adnan Menderes with another credit grantÛÓ and thus appear, no matter what the economic and practical justifications, to be supporting an unpopular regime which is about to go to the country to seek a third term in office.</br></br>Under the Turkish constl-tution, the Government's four-year term ends in October of 1961. It is supposed to go to the country before that time, but it can extend its term for one year and, by really twisting constitutional interpretation, can spin it out fOr two additional years. But under the circumstances which the Menderes regime np>v faces, delay would look like weakness.</br></br>The United States has thus far refrained from Û÷'interveningÛ as it did in Korea. But the mere fact of American aid constitutes an ÛÏinterventionÛ of sortsÛÓas the opposition leader, Ismet Inonu, made clear at a press conference last Friday.