740.0011 European War 1939/9–1244: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 13—12:10 p.m.]
1717. For Secretary and Under Secretary. I had a general talk today with the Prime Minister. I found him in a rather troubled state of mind. He said he had reached the point at which he could no longer understand British policy towards Turkey while at the same time he was becoming concerned with recent unfavorable radio and newspaper comment in the United States with respect to Turkey.
In response to my inquiry as to what he could not understand about British policy towards Turkey Saraçoğlu replied that Turkey had complied with every request made by its [British] ally but that notwithstanding such compliance London continued to evidence irritation and dissatisfaction with the Turk Government. In response to my inquiry as to whether the irritation he said he had sensed could perhaps be ascribed to the fact that Turkey had not as yet declared war on Germany, Saraçoğlu replied that since the rupture with Germany no such request had been made of the Turk Government by the British. He expressed the firm conviction that the British for reasons best known to themselves have not desired and do not desire a declaration of war by Turkey against Germany. He then remarked that shortly after the rupture of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Germany he had inquired of Hugessen as to whether the British Government desired Turkey’s entry into the war and that Hugessen had answered him to the effect that it was too late for such action to be of any value. Saraçoğlu indicated that ever since the rupture of relations between Turkey and Germany his Government had been anticipating a request from the British either for air or naval bases, for the transit of British troops to the Balkans through Turkey, or for a declaration of war against Germany, observing that as long as no such request was received it was hardly advisable for the Turk Government to take such action on its own initiative. He expressed the opinion that were Turkey to declare war on Germany without having been requested to do so by the British London would be deeply [Page 900] offended. In consequence he said Turkey has for some months past been placed in a false light before the world. He said he was aware of the fact that the Russians some time ago had desired Turkey’s entry into the war but that it had not been possible for the Turk Government at that time to comply with the desire of the Russian Government because of the then British attitude and that even had it been disposed to do so notwithstanding the British attitude the reservation contained in the American note to the effect that Turkey could not look to the United States for any assistance in connection with a Balkan campaign would have been a sufficient deterrent.
Saraçoğlu then expressed his concern with recent developments in Bulgaria remarking however that he regarded recent developments in the Balkans as a whole as more of a menace to British than Turk interests in that as he put it “we have been neighbors of the Russians for many years with a common frontier and have learned how to get on with them, something the British still have to learn”.
From my talk with the Prime Minister I gained the impression that the present policy of the Turk Government is one of watchful waiting and that while it is prepared to grant bases, permission for the transit of British or American troops through Turkey to the Balkans, or to declare war on Germany if so requested by the British, it does not contemplate taking any action of its own volition unless extraordinary or unforeseen circumstances develop in the Balkans.