867.24/799

The Acting Secretary of State to the British Minister (Campbell)

Dear Sir Ronald: I wish to thank you for your letter of August 21, 1943, addressed to Mr. Acheson, inviting my Government’s comments on the draft Lend-Lease Agreement which your Government proposes shortly to submit to the Turkish Government.96

It is assumed that the draft agreement covers supplies of British origin and that it is not intended to relate to American supplies which have been or may be retransferred to Turkey by the British Government. As you know, my Government is currently negotiating an agreement with Turkey which will pertain both to the Lend-Lease supplies which are accorded Turkey direct by the United States and to those which are retransferred to Turkey by Great Britain.

With reference to the provisions of the proposed Anglo-Turkish agreement for reciprocal aid and other benefits to be accorded to Great Britain by Turkey, it is observed that Article 7 of the draft makes provision for reciprocal aid by Turkey, and that Article 4 provides for the return to Great Britain after the war of supplies accorded Turkey under the agreement. However, my Government notes the absence of any provision relating to the final determination of benefits, over and above the foregoing, to be provided by Turkey in return for the aid furnished, such as Article VII of the Anglo-American Agreement of February 23, 1942. I may add that my Government attaches importance to the inclusion of such a provision in its own agreement with the Government of Turkey and in all other lend-lease agreements which it has concluded or is negotiating.

Sincerely yours,

A. A. Berle, Jr.
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