Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The British Commonwealth; The Near East and Africa, Volume III

740.0011 European War 1939/12134b: Telegram

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

Washington, June 15, 1941—4 p.m.

90. This Government has learned from a secret source, which it believes completely reliable, that secret negotiations have been in progress between the German and Turkish Governments which may result in an agreement by Turkey to enter into an ostensible “non-aggression pact” with Germany.

You are requested at the earliest possible opportunity to make it clear to the Turkish Government that any weakening at this time of the position taken by Turkey in opposing the spread of German aggression and any subsequent change in the policy of Anglo-Turkish cooperation would, of course, have a disastrous effect upon American public opinion. As the Turkish Government knows, it has now received valuable deliveries of war material as a result of the operation of the Lend-Lease Act of the United States. Such deliveries could, of course, not be continued in the event of any change in present Turkish policy.

Hull