390D.11/195: Telegram

The Ambassador in Turkey (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State

41. Department’s 23, April 2, 5 p.m. While considerable difficulty is being encountered chiefly on account of lack of interest in the conclusion of the nationality agreement on the part of the Ministry of the Interior which must be consulted with respect to every point I hope nevertheless to be able in the near future to forward a draft of the agreement acceptable to the Turks which the Department can approve.

While the Turks are insisting on the acceptance of article VI of their draft (forwarded in my despatch No. 1277, November 23, last59) we are endeavoring to persuade them to agree to the text suggested in the Department’s instruction 455 [445], January 19, last, with the addition of a note from the Turkish Government stating that the persons in question will not be permitted to enter Turkey. In the event that they prove adamant on this point, however, I should like to know how far the Department is willing to go with respect to this article as we are told the Ministry of the Interior is insisting upon the Turkish draft as a sine qua non of concluding an agreement.

MacMurray