740.0011 European War 1939/7–1144: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
5449. Because time element is of great importance please telegraph urgently British reaction to exchange of notes proposed by the Turks. The general tenor of the Turkish proposal is such that undue delay in its acceptance may lay the British and ourselves open to Turkish criticism that we were not sincere in asking for a break of diplomatic and economic relations with Germany. It will be even more difficult for the Soviet Government, which does not consider that our request to the Turks implements the Moscow and Tehran agreements, to understand further delay in accepting the Turkish proposal.
You may inform the Foreign Office that, subject to the advice of the military, this Government agrees in principle with the Soviet Government’s views as handed to the British Ambassador in Moscow June 29. By making the rupture of relations a preliminary step towards active belligerency in the very near future the Turkish Government is in a position to hasten the end of the war. If it is made clear to the Turks that, as Saraçoğlu has said, this is a first step to entry into the war, no question should arise regarding the agreement reached at Moscow and Tehran.
From the long-range point of view it seems likely that a Turkey which has earned its seat at the peace table might be a useful friend.
Steinhardt is now in Washington and will raise the question of Turkey shortly with the President and Admiral Leahy.63 It is thus important to have the earliest possible report of London’s views.
As the Turks are prepared to break with Germany first and to talk afterwards about the considerations therefor, there would seem little reason for delay. Further delay in accepting the Turks’ offer would lend some confirmation to the suspicions entertained by Ankara and perhaps to some extent in Moscow. Unless the British reply to the Turkish proposal, worked out by the British with Moscow in accordance [Page 879] with the general views of this Government as set forth above, is forthright and unequivocal, it might lead to the Turks breaking relations and entering the war on their own, thus pushing their Alliance with Britain into the background and turning their eyes eastward.
Repeated to Moscow and Ankara.
- Adm. William D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy.↩