740.0011 European War 1939/12091: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey ( MacMurray ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10 p.m.]
190. The reaction of the Turkish press to the British and Free French invasion of Syria has been guardedly sympathetic with chief emphasis on their announced intention of giving it its independence and with the implied hope that this time the British may be quickly [Page 740] successful. Various editorials have also mentioned the economic advantages which will accrue to Syria through British occupation and the importance to Turkey of having the situation in that country stabilized. Sympathy for the British as opposed to the Vichy Government in this move had been increased by Admiral Darlan’s statement to the press at Paris on May 31 in which he is reported to have said that after the last war the English encouraged the Turks to throw the French out of Cilicia. This statement was the cause of bitter resentment and was attacked in length and in detail by practically the entire Turkish press.