Turkish Cabinet OKs Renewed Defense Pact With U.S.

The government on Saturday approved the renewal of a defense cooperation pact with the United States that was signed by the two countries almost a year ago, the Foreign Ministry announced.

The pact gives the United States access to a dozen military installations in Turkey, including two electronic listening posts that monitor Soviet military activities and nuclear tests.

Prime Minister Turgut Ozal’s Cabinet, disappointed by the position of the U.S. Congress on military aid to Turkey, had been withholding approval of the agreement that will be in force until 1990.

Turkey contends it needs $1.2 billion in U.S. assistance a year to modernize its armed forces.

Last year, the Reagan Administration asked Congress to give Turkey $914 million in aid. The Congress, citing budget constraints, cut the request to $570 million and reduced the amount to $490 million for the current fiscal year.

The announcement said that in ratifying the agreement, the Turkish government considered other aspects of the relationship with the United States besides defense cooperation.

The announcement also noted that the United States, in the agreement, had pledged to make it easier for Turkey to repay its foreign military sales credits and also pledged to improve trade relations between the two countries.