740.00112 European War 1939/10774: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 13—10:50 a.m.]
856. At the close of a lengthy conversation this morning with the Minister for Foreign Affairs relative to the discontinuance by Turkey of all shipments to the Axis of the strategic materials specified in our note of April 14, Numan intimated that he might be willing to consider a brief general agreement between Turkey and the United States and Great Britain which would provide for (a) discontinuance of all chrome shipments to Axis countries (as to which we have no binding commitment), (b) the reduction of shipments of all other strategic materials listed in our note by 40% as compared with deliveries in 1943; the reduced deliveries to be on a monthly basis so that they would be evenly distributed throughout the year, and (c) agreement by Great Britain and the United States to furnish Turkey’s essential requirements within their capacity to do so.
When I argued with Numan that my Government desired the complete discontinuance of all shipments of the commodities in question and that a 40% reduction would not be satisfactory to Washington, I gained the impression that if pressed Numan might increase the percentage of reduction to 50%. He said that he would be compelled to categorically refuse a demand for the complete cessation of all shipments since any such action on his part would be political rather than economic and would involve a rupture of relations between Turkey and Germany, Bulgaria, Rumania and Hungary. He remarked, incidentally, that he had been informed that despite publicity to the contrary Spain had agreed to reduce wolfram shipments to Germany by only 20% of previous deliveries.
He emphasized that reduction of 40% would be minimum reduction and would be made as gesture of good will on part of Turkish [Page 842] Government without even knowing extent to which Britain and United States could or would furnish Turkey’s essential requirements. He said that any reduction beyond this percentage would depend upon Great Britain and United States as new bureau which he proposed to create in Foreign Office would not permit any shipments of strategic materials to Axis until it had first ascertained from British and ourselves whether compensating commodity offered by Axis could or would be provided by Great Britain or United States. If delivery of compensating commodity was assured from Great Britain or United States shipment of proposed strategic material would not be made by Turkey. In this way it would be within power of Great Britain and United States to effect further reduction in shipment of strategic materials from Turkey to Axis and if deemed sufficiently worthwhile to bring about complete discontinuance thereof.
Numan said he could not afford luxury of a complete rupture of all Turkey’s commercial relations with Germany, Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria, which would affect Turkey adversely for many years after war and for this reason he contemplated agreements with these countries which would be paper agreements in order to preserve a semblance of commercial relations between Turkey and the countries in question. He emphasized that these agreements would be in the nature of “private compensation agreements” and that Great Britain and the United States would have an opportunity in respect of each proposed delivery of Turk strategic materials to prevent the export thereof to the Axis by furnishing the proposed compensating commodities. He cited as an example the proposed Rumanian-Turk agreement which would involve primarily the delivery of oil products by Rumania to Turkey. He said he intended to make such an agreement but that not a ton of Turk commodities of any kind would ever go to Rumania if Great Britain or the United States furnished the oil products that Rumania would be obliged to furnish in compensation for the Turk products.
Discussions are now taking place between my British colleague and myself with regard to the joint recommendation to be made by us to Washington and London in the light of the foregoing.