611.6731/249: Telegram
The Chargé in Turkey (Kelley) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:40 p.m.]
3. Prime Minister has sent me a message requesting me to ascertain whether it would be possible to have the trade agreement negotiations carried on in Ankara. If it is not possible, he states that the Turkish Government will send a delegation to Washington.
Some weeks ago in a conversation with me Prime Minister referred to trade agreement negotiations and inquired whether the American Government insisted on having all trade agreement negotiations conducted in Washington. I said that I understood the Department preferred to have such negotiations carried on in Washington, but that I [Page 1053] was under the impression that some trade agreements had been negotiated outside of Washington, although I did not know under what circumstances. He said that, while he had not come to any decision concerning the matter, it would be very inconvenient to the Turkish Government to send a delegation to Washington, since they had only a few experts available for trade agreement negotiations and their services were greatly in demand and a trip to Washington would require their absence from Turkey for a long time on account of distance involved. Furthermore, he doubted the necessity of sending a delegation such a long distance for negotiations which in his opinion would be very brief in view of harmony of views of two Governments with regard to trade agreement. I offered to take the matter up with you, but he requested me not to do so until he had made up his mind.