[3] 95% of the population voted for independence, which earned Touré the enmity of the French president de Gaulle.

The French withdrew immediately, taking with them everything they could and destroying[3] what they could not, including lightbulbs, plans for sewage pipelines in Conakry.

[3] France even forcefully threatened NATO partners Turkey and United States[5] — that if Turkey or the United States were to provide any assistance to Guinea or establish any trade relations, de Gaulle was prepared to leave NATO.

[5] Turkey denounced de Gaulle's as extreme but refrained from providing assistance to Guinea.

[5] After being snubbed by NATO countries for financial aid, Touré predictably turned to the Soviet Union for economic assistance.