In October 1962, the world stood on the brink of nuclear war. One of the intriguing players that could have led to an apocalyptic conflict was Turkey.
American spy planes conducting reconnaissance flights over Cuba detected nuclear warheads on the island, causing a major upheaval.
Following the discovery of the warheads, President Kennedy ordered a naval blockade around Cuba. He also announced to the world that any Russian ships carrying warheads en route to Cuba would be sunk before reaching the island.
Leaders began a tense standoff. With no one willing to back down, the U.S. only informed the United Nations and NATO, but did not seek their approval.
Diplomatic correspondence, secret meetings of ambassadors, and covert negotiations ultimately led to the Soviets abandoning the idea of occupying Cuba and agreeing to dismantle the missile launchers. This event, also known as the October Crisis, marked a softening of the Cold War.
In exchange for removing the missile launchers in Cuba, the USSR insisted on the removal of Jupiter missiles in Turkey, which were aimed at Russia and located in Sinop. However, the missile launchers in Turkey began to be dismantled without consulting Turkey. This indicated that the U.S. did not actually consider Turkey a significant player at the time. It took the Turkish public 40 years to learn about the removal of the Jupiter missiles.
At the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis, both sides reached an agreement. The missile launchers in Cuba were removed, and in return, Jupiter missiles in Turkey were cleared. The U.S. pledged not to attack Cuba and to preserve its territorial integrity. Russia, in turn, promised not to attack Turkey and to protect its territorial integrity.
Before the Cuban Crisis, Nikita Khrushchev expressed his discomfort with the Jupiter missiles at a dinner with Western journalists. Pointing to the Black Sea coast and horizon, he asked, "What do you see there?" When the journalists said they saw nothing, the Russian leader said, "What I see is Jupiter missiles pointed at me," expressing his unease.
After the October Crisis, the Russians believed Khrushchev's regime had suffered a defeat and removed him from power. China accused the Soviets of betraying the communist cause by leaving Cuba, leading to a rift between Moscow and Beijing. The crisis led to a thaw in the Cold War, and a direct hotline for communication between Washington and Moscow, known as the "red telephone line," was established.
The Cuban Missile Crisis, despite leading to many developments, will forever be remembered as the day the world came closest to nuclear war. When asked how close they came to war, Cuban leader Castro would later gesture by bringing his thumb and index finger so close together that no air could pass through and say, "This is how close we came.
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