Roosevelt Papers: Telegram

President Roosevelt to Prime Minister Churchill1

secret

#407 President to Prime

This government agrees to join Great Britain and Soviet in making immediate demand on Turkey for use of air bases and later pressing Turkey to enter the war before the end of the year2 subject to the following: No British or American resources will be committed to the Eastern Mediterranean area which in the opinion of the commanders responsible are necessary for Overlord or for operations in Italy.

Roosevelt
  1. Channel of transmission not indicated. A paraphrase of this message was sent to Harriman at Moscow on the same date, via Navy channels.
  2. See Hull’s telegram of November 1, 1943, to Roosevelt, ante, p. 144.