740.0011 European War 1939/12278: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 21—5:40 a.m.]
203. Referring to the third paragraph of my number 198, June 18, 10 p.m., it appears that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday morning called in Reuter’s correspondent and on behalf of the Minister handed to him a statement in French “of which the following is a translation” to be treated as a report of an exclusive interview “(Question): Mr. Minister, can you tell us which are the engagements that Turkey intended to reserve by the preamble of the treaty concluded with Germany? (Answer): Certainly; in the first place our treaty with England and all the other treaties and agreements concluded and in force with other countries”.
Neither the Foreign Office nor the Press Bureau communicated to any of the American correspondents the declaration embodied in this “interview” which is thus far the sole statement made by any of the Turkish authorities by way of specific reference to the alliance as unaffected by the treaty with Germany.