Abstract:

Political leftist groups in Turkey, have been spoken many times, claiming that the United States is behind the March 12 March Memorandum. In addition to leftist politics, officials of the Justice Party Government, who had to resign with the March 12th Memorandum, made statements that would supporting these claims. While the Turkish government officials and MPs from opposition parties have clearly spoken of these ideas, there are some expressions in the American reports of that period that supporting these claims. According to American officials, disputes with the Turkish government on defense and foreign policy issues, especially the poppy planting, could have resulted in the government's fall. U.S President Richard Nixon, a ban on poppy cultivation in Turkey had made a political obsession. For this reason he was extraordinary interested in the poppy issue. Nixon, who will be brought to the ban poppy cultivation in Turkey, a major cause of the drug problem in the US social wounds he thought would end completely. Because of this, he wanted the prohibition of poppy cultivation from the Turkish Government. Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel did not accept this request with the political prestige of the Turkish public and the fear of losing the support of the Turkish farmer. U.S administration imposed an intense repression policy on the Turkish Government. But, Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel could not be persuaded. In this period, Prime Minister Demirel was often struggling with government crises because of the opposition within his party. The anti-American political atmosphere and the clashes of opposition groups have entered a process that has increased. Senior military officers expressed their warnings and complaints about Demirel and the Government through the press.             On March 12, 1971, the four commanders of the Turkish army gave a memorandum to Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel and his government. Although Demirel wanted to struggle first, President Cevdet Sunay took the decision to resign. Süleyman Demirel and his government have now fallen from power. The Nihat Erim Government, which replaced it, followed a policy of softening the tense relationship with the US. Nihat Erim Government banned poppy cultivation by order of the United States in July 1971.

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