740.0011 European War 1939/8–144: Telegram
The Chargé in Turkey (Kelley) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 2—11:49 a.m.]
1404. ReEmby’s 1398 July 31. The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested me to call on him this afternoon and stated that following our conversation yesterday he had given further consideration to the matter of the reservation contained in the statement of the position of the American Government relative to Turkey’s rupture of relations with Germany and decided to put down on paper the thoughts of the Turkish Government in regard to this matter. He thereupon handed me a memorandum which reads as follows in paraphrased translation:
“The Turkish Government has taken cognizance of the communication made orally by the American Chargé d’Affaires on July 25, 1944, with a view to supporting the position taken by Great Britain relative to the immediate rupture by Turkey of economic and diplomatic relations with Germany, and emphasizing in this connection that such action by the Turkish Government would be considered by the American Government as only a first step toward actual belligerency, with the reservation that, in taking this position, the United States is not committed to military, naval or air support of any campaign in the Balkans.
“From this communication and from the explanations which were given by the Chargé d’Affaires it is evident that the American Government, while considering the action of the Turkish Government on breaking off its economic and diplomatic relations with Germany as only a first step toward actual belligerency, is anxious to make it clear that it does not consider itself committed thereby to furnish military, naval or air assistance to any Balkan campaign which might be undertaken and in which Turkey might participate, without the American Government having given its previous consent. However since the American Government has supported the British request for the rupture of diplomatic and commercial relations with Germany and since it has always associated itself with the British Government in steps toward this end, the Turkish Government considers that, [Page 897] in the event that Turkey should become involved in a Balkan campaign as result of an aggression arising out of the decision thus made to break off her economic and diplomatic relations with Germany not only would the American reservation in such a contingency serve no logical purpose but the American Government should hasten to furnish Turkey all the assistance in its power.”
I informed Acikalin that I had telegraphed to my Government a summary of our conversation yesterday and that I would bring to its attention the memorandum which he had just handed me.