740.0011 European War 1939/13460: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:30 p.m.]
269. Commenting with unusual frankness on unexpectedly strong resistance of Russians, Foreign Office Secretary General yesterday expressed to me earnest hope that slowing down of German advance would mean stretching that campaign on into winter with result of so far weakening Germany that Anglo-Saxons could defeat her, which would, from Turkish point of view, be ideal outcome of war. Either German or Russian hegemony of Europe would be disastrous for Turkey, but of these alternatives the worst would be Russian domination; under Germans, Turkey would, no doubt, lose her political and economic independence for long period but could at least find means of survival in cooperation with a people who are at any rate civilized and constructive, and nourish hopes of eventual national resurgence; whereas, under Russians they could look forward to nothing but [Page 885] destructiveness and ruthless stamping out of every element of Turkish nationhood.
- 2.
- I believe Numan’s comments accurately reflect present opinion of Turkish political leaders as well as current popular sentiment. They represent what is perhaps extreme of revulsion of Turkish feeling in consequence of disillusion created by what is regarded as Moscow’s betrayal of Kemalist policy of mutual confidence and cooperation.
- 3.
- I do not, however, detect any tendency to find fault with British alliance with Russia or our own promises of material assistance (probable effectiveness of either of which Turks are inclined to estimate at minimum); their general assumption is that Germany is far more powerful than Russia and they are hard-boiled enough to see only advantage for themselves in any help to Russians, however slight, which tends to even up balance and so protract campaign and make its results less decisive. There is, however, discernible slight undercurrent of uneasiness lest her alliance with Russia should eventually bring about situation in which Britain would find it difficult to oppose Russian pretensions at expense of Turkey, particularly as regards Straits.
Repeated Bucharest.