740.00119 European War/9–244: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 3—10:40 p.m.]
1635. In Turk official circles there is considerable criticism of the course pursued by the British in connection with the Bulgarian armistice negotiations. The Turks who have always feared a Russian entry into Bulgaria point out that prior to the conclusion of a satisfactory arrangement between Russia and Rumania the Russians were in no position from a military point of view to exercise serious pressure on Bulgaria and were therefore obliged to contemplate an armistice between the British and Americans on the one hand and the Bulgarians on the other with themselves as mere observers. They argue that by reason of the British delay in conducting Bulgarian armistice negotiations the Russians have been able to secure Constanza and [Page 393] Ploesti and reach the Rumanian-Bulgarian frontier and stress that now that Rumanian forces are operating in conjunction with Russian forces to occupy Transylvania it is most unlikely that the Russians will fail to seize the opportunity to take whatever measures may be necessary to place themselves on an equal footing with the British and Americans in the Bulgarian armistice negotiations. Turk officials appear to be annoyed at what they regard as the studied manner with which the British have ignored the interests of Turkey in Bulgaria and seem to feel that in carrying on the negotiations in Cairo the British had in mind an ulterior motive resulting in injury to Turk prestige vis-à-vis Bulgaria. In short the Turks are disposed to blame the British for the fall of the Bagrianoff Cabinet which they believe was prepared to surrender unconditionally and to anticipate that from now on the Russians will play a more important role than heretofore in negotiations relating to the withdrawal of Bulgaria from the war.
Repeated to London as No. 41, Moscow and to Cairo for AmEmBalk.