867.00/3139: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey ( Steinhardt ) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 18—4:12 a.m.]
286. Minister for Foreign Affairs asked me to call to see him this morning. He told me that some time ago Soviet Ambassador invited him to dinner and after assuring him of the complete innocence of the two Soviet defendants in bomb explosion trial requested their release and permission for them to return to the Soviet Union (see my 234, March 31, 2 p.m.) implying that such a gesture on part of Turkish Government might go far towards improving Turkish-Soviet relations. Minister met this request with a review of Turkish-Soviet [Page 831] relations recalling the great friendship conceived during their revolutions pointing out that Turkey had staunchly stood by Soviet Union when it was without friends among other nations; that Turkish-Soviet relations had been most cordial until Soviet at time of negotiation of Montreux Convention54 had given notice to the world that relations between the two countries were no longer as close as they had been; that subsequently the two countries had resumed their former friendship; that relations had remained most cordial until time of the visit of Potemkin55 to Ankara there had been minor difficulties that had later been satisfactorily settled. Since outbreak of war Turkish Government had endeavored to maintain close and friendly relations with Soviet Union with little success but Turkish Government was not prepared to purchase Soviet friendship at the cost of its independence or integrity of its courts.
He said he had made it quite clear to the Ambassador his Government was not disposed to interfere with its established court procedure.
The Minister then told me that following conversation with Soviet Ambassador there had been some improvement in Soviet attitude but recent outburst by Soviet press and radio threatened to impair again relations between two countries. He said he was doing his best to prevent any further deterioration and notwithstanding Soviet press attacks he had restrained Turkish press from attacking Soviet Union.
Minister stated he was informally advising British Ambassador and myself of foregoing without requesting or even suggesting either of us take any action in matter. I told the Minister I had already emphasized to Soviet Ambassador the undesirability of permitting trial to impair relations between Soviet and Turkey (see my 284, April 17). I gained impression Saraçoğlu entertains hope Washington and London on their own initiative will use their influence with Soviet Government to bring about a cessation of press and radio attacks on conduct of the trial.
Repeated to Kuibyshev.
- Regarding the Regime of the Straits, signed July 20, 1936; for text, see League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. clxxiii, p. 213. For correspondence on this subject, see Foreign Relations, 1936, vol. iii, pp. 503 ff.↩
- Vladimir Petrovich Potemkin, Soviet Deputy Commissar for Foreign Affairs, visited Turkey April 29 to May 5, 1939.↩