Pact of Mutual Cooperation between Iraq and Turkey (Baghdad Pact)
Article VIII. This Treaty does not affect and shall not be
interpreted as affecting in any way the rights and obligations of
the Parties under the Charter of the United Nations or the
responsibility of the United Nations for the maintenance of
international peace and security.
Article IX. This Treaty shall be ratified by the United States of
America and the Republic of China in accordance with their
respective constitutional processes and will come into force
when instruments of ratification thereof have been exchanged
by them at Taipei.
Article X. This Treaty shall remain in force indefinitely.
Either Party may terminate it one year after notice has been
given to the other Party.
In witness whereof the undersigned Plenipotentiaries have
signed this Treaty.
Done in duplicate, in the English and Chinese languages, at
Washington on this second day of December of the Year One
Thousand Nine Hundred and Fifty-four, corresponding to the
second day of the twelfth month of the Forty-third year of the
Republic of China.
For the United States of America:
John Foster DULLES
For the Republic of China:
George K. C. YEH
4.1359 Pact of Mutual Cooperation between
Iraq and Turkey (Baghdad Pact)
Alliance Members:Turkey, Iraq, United Kingdom (April 5, 1955);
Pakistan (September 23, 1955); Iran (November 3, 1955); and the
United States (July 28, 1958)
Signed On:February 24, 1955, in the city of Baghdad (Iraq). In force
until March 24, 1959.
Alliance Type:Entente (Type III)
Source:United Nations Treaty,no. 3264.
SUMMARY
The Pact of Mutual Cooperation between Iraq and Turkey was one in
a series of containment policies promulgated by the United States fol-
lowing World War II. Unwilling to commit to any agreement in the
Middle East, Great Britain, after its withdrawal of forces, left the
United States little choice but to become involved, according to Secre-
tary of State John Foster Dulles. This early treaty evolved to include
Great Britain, Pakistan, and Iran; and it quickly became known as the
Baghdad Pact.
The treaty pledged to maintain a regional alliance through security
and defense practices, with informal aid expected from the United
States. The aid expectations were formalized in 1958 through a series
of U.S. executive agreements.
The crisis that eventually ended the treaty began in the spring 1958
when the government of Syria merged with Egypt to form the United
Arab Republic. Iraq’s pro-Western leader was concurrently ousted in a
coup, prompting the Lebanese government to ask the United States for
temporary assistance in the face of similar pressures. Iraq formally
withdrew from the alliance in March 1959 and created the Central
Treaty Organization.Alliance Text
Whereas the friendly and brotherly relations existing between
Iraq and Turkey are in constant progress, and in order to com-
plement the contents of the Treaty of friendship and good
neighbourhood concluded between His Majesty The King of
Iraq and His Excellency The President of the Turkish Republic
signed in Ankara on the 29th of March, 1946, which recognised
the fact that peace and security between the two countries is an
integral part of the peace and security of all the Nations of the
world and in particular the Nations of the Middle East, and that
it is the basis for their foreign policies;
Whereas Article 11 of the Treaty of Joint Defence and Eco-
nomic Co-operation between the Arab League States provides
that no provision of that Treaty shall in any way affect, or is
designed to affect any of the rights and obligations accruing to
the contracting parties from the United Nations Charter;
And having realised the great responsibilities borne by them
in their capacity as members of the United Nations concerned
with the maintenance of peace and security in the Middle East
region which necessitate taking the required measures in accor-
dance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter;
They have been fully convinced of the necessity of conclud-
ing a pact fulfilling these aims and for that purpose have
appointed as their Plenipotentiaries:
His Majesty King Faisal II King of Iraq: His Excellency Al
Farik Nuri As-Said, Prime Minister; His Excellency Burhanud-
din Bash-Ayan, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs
His Excellency Jalal Bayar President of the Turkish Republic:
His Excellency Adnan Menderes, Prime Minister; His Excel-
lency Professor Fuat Köprülü, Minister for Foreign Affairs
who, having communicated their full powers, found to be in
good and due form, have agreed as follows:
Article 1. Consistent with Article 51 of the United Nations
Charter the High Contracting Parties will co-operate for their
security and defence. Such measures as they agree to take to give
effect to this co-operation may form the subject of special
agreements with each other.
Article 2. In order to ensure the realisation and effect appli-
cation of the co-operation provided for in Article 1 above, the
competent authorities of the High Contracting Parties will
determine the measures to be taken as soon as the present Pact
enters into force. These measures will become operative as soon
as they have been approved by the Governments of the High
Contracting Parties.
Article 3. The High Contracting Parties undertake to refrain
from any interference whatsoever in each other’s internal
affairs. They will settle any dispute between themselves in a
peaceful way in accordance with the United Nations Charter.
Article 4. The High Contracting Parties declare that the dis-
positions of the present Pact are not in contradiction with any
of the international obligations contracted by either of them