A Crisis Affecting Turkey During the Cold War: the Downing of a US Intelligence Plane (May 1, 1960)

Selim Hüsem

Article Details

A Crisis Affecting Turkey During the Cold War: the Downing of a US Intelligence Plane (May 1, 1960)

Authors:

Selim Hüsem

Publisher:

Marmara University

Journal:

Marmara Türkiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.552-581

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305268

pISSN:

2148-6743

Keywords:

Abstract:

 After World War II, an aircraft model CL-282 was designed by Lockheed for the United States of Americas USA need for high-altitude aerial reconnaissance. This Project, also known as U-2, was not approved by US Air Force USAF in the first place. However, Central Intelligence Agency CIA agreed to be the project coordinator, with the support of then-US President Eisenhower. The primary mission of the U-2 aircraft, rigged with specific cameras and electronic devices, was to spy on the strategic military establishments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics USSR. The most well-known activities of these aircraft, whose first detachments were established in Germany, were carried out with the flights taken off from İncirlik Air Base in Adana, Türkiye. Detachment B, a unit of U-2 in Adana, used the Peşaver of Pakistan and Bodo of Norway Air Bases. The plan, designed for U-2, was named Operation Grand Slam. This operation was the first intelligence flight to cross over the USSR territory. Francis Gary Powers, an experienced pilot, was chosen for this historic flight. However, shooting down the Powers U-2 in the USSR territory took the operation to an unplanned point. The capture of the pilot alive by the Soviets caused a crisis so difficult to manage. USSR held the USA and her allies responsible. In this respect, this crisis took on an international dimension Türkiye got involved as well. Being a current issue of the United Nations UN with the effort of the USSR, this incident caused U-2 detachments stationed in Türkiye to be removed. This article, analyzing the U-2 incident, one of the significant diplomatic crises of the Cold War, used the official records of the parties, the press of that period, memoirs of the pilot, and specific studies on the U-2 program.

 After World War II, an aircraft model CL-282 was designed by Lockheed for the United States of Americas USA need for high-altitude aerial reconnaissance. This Project, also known as U-2, was not approved by US Air Force USAF in the first place. However, Central Intelligence Agency CIA agreed to be the project coordinator, with the support of then-US President Eisenhower. The primary mission of the U-2 aircraft, rigged with specific cameras and electronic devices, was to spy on the strategic military establishments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics USSR. The most well-known activities of these aircraft, whose first detachments were established in Germany, were carried out with the flights taken off from İncirlik Air Base in Adana, Türkiye. Detachment B, a unit of U-2 in Adana, used the Peşaver of Pakistan and Bodo of Norway Air Bases. The plan, designed for U-2, was named Operation Grand Slam. This operation was the first intelligence flight to cross over the USSR territory. Francis Gary Powers, an experienced pilot, was chosen for this historic flight. However, shooting down the Powers U-2 in the USSR territory took the operation to an unplanned point. The capture of the pilot alive by the Soviets caused a crisis so difficult to manage. USSR held the USA and her allies responsible. In this respect, this crisis took on an international dimension Türkiye got involved as well. Being a current issue of the United Nations UN with the effort of the USSR, this incident caused U-2 detachments stationed in Türkiye to be removed. This article, analyzing the U-2 incident, one of the significant diplomatic crises of the Cold War, used the official records of the parties, the press of that period, memoirs of the pilot, and specific studies on the U-2 program.

 After World War II, an aircraft model CL-282 was designed by Lockheed for the United States of Americas USA need for high-altitude aerial reconnaissance. This Project, also known as U-2, was not approved by US Air Force USAF in the first place. However, Central Intelligence Agency CIA agreed to be the project coordinator, with the support of then-US President Eisenhower. The primary mission of the U-2 aircraft, rigged with specific cameras and electronic devices, was to spy on the strategic military establishments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics USSR. The most well-known activities of these aircraft, whose first detachments were established in Germany, were carried out with the flights taken off from İncirlik Air Base in Adana, Türkiye. Detachment B, a unit of U-2 in Adana, used the Peşaver of Pakistan and Bodo of Norway Air Bases. The plan, designed for U-2, was named Operation Grand Slam. This operation was the first intelligence flight to cross over the USSR territory. Francis Gary Powers, an experienced pilot, was chosen for this historic flight. However, shooting down the Powers U-2 in the USSR territory took the operation to an unplanned point. The capture of the pilot alive by the Soviets caused a crisis so difficult to manage. USSR held the USA and her allies responsible. In this respect, this crisis took on an international dimension Türkiye got involved as well. Being a current issue of the United Nations UN with the effort of the USSR, this incident caused U-2 detachments stationed in Türkiye to be removed. This article, analyzing the U-2 incident, one of the significant diplomatic crises of the Cold War, used the official records of the parties, the press of that period, memoirs of the pilot, and specific studies on the U-2 program.

 İkinci Dünya Savaşı sonrası Amerika Birleşik Devletlerinin ABD yüksek irtifa hava keşfi alanında ihtiyacını karşılamak için Lockheed tarafından CL-282 model bir uçak tasarlanmıştı. U-2 olarak bilinen bu proje başlangıçta ABD Hava Kuvvetleri USAF tarafından kabul görmemişti. Ancak dönemin ABD Başkanı Eisenhowerın da desteği ile Merkezi İstihbarat Teşkilatı CIA projenin yürütücüsü olmayı kabul etmişti. Özel kamera ve elektronik ekipmanları ile donatılan U-2 uçaklarının temel görevi Sovyet Sosyalist Cumhuriyetler Birliğinin SSCB stratejik askerî tesislerini gözetlemekti. İlk müfrezesi Almanyada kurulan bu uçakların en bilinen faaliyetleri ise Türkiyeden Adanadaki İncirlik Hava Üssünden gerçekleştirilen uçaklarla gerçekleştirilmişti. Adanadaki U-2 birimi olan Müfreze B Pakistanın Peşaver, Norveçin Bodo üslerini de kullanmaktaydı. U-2 için hazırlanan plana Grand Slam Operasyonu adı verildi. Bu operasyon SSCB topraklarını boydan boya geçecek ilk istihbarat uçuşuydu. Bu tarihi uçuş için deneyimli pilotlardan Francis Gary Powers seçilmişti. Ancak Powersın pilotu olduğu U-2nin SSCB sınırları içerisinde düşürülmesi operasyonu planlanmayan bir noktaya taşıdı. Pilotun sağ olarak Sovyetler tarafından ele geçirilmesi yönetilmesi zor bir krize sebep oldu. SSCB, hadisenin ardından ABD ile birlikte onun müttefiklerini de sorumlu tuttu. Bu yönüyle kriz Türkiyenin de müdahil olduğu uluslararası bir boyut kazandı. SSCBnin Birleşmiş Milletler BM gündemine getirdiği bu olay Türkiyede konuşlu U-2 müfrezesinin geri çekilmesine neden oldu. Soğuk Savaşın dikkat çeken diplomatik krizlerinden olan U-2 hadisesini inceleyen bu çalışmada, tarafların resmî kayıtları, dönemin basını, pilotun hatıraları ve U-2 programı üzerine yapılmış özel çalışmalardan yararlanılmaktadır.

Article Details

A Crisis Affecting Turkey During the Cold War: the Downing of a US Intelligence Plane (May 1, 1960)

Authors:

Selim Hüsem

Publisher:

Marmara University

Journal:

Marmara Türkiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.552-581

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305268

pISSN:

2148-6743

Intelligence

Espionage

Crisis

Diplomacy

Cold Warİstihbarat

Casusluk

Kriz

Diplomasi

Soğuk Savaş

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Selim Hüsem

Publisher: Marmara University

Journal: Marmara Türkiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.552-581

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 12/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001305268

pISSN: 2148-6743

Issues

Authors:

Selim Hüsem

Publisher:

Marmara University

Journal:

Marmara Türkiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.552-581

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305268

pISSN:

2148-6743