740.00112 European War 1939/10869: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 24—12:24 a.m.]
936. The following is text of the aide-mémoire which I left with the Foreign Minister this morning.
“The proposals made to the American Ambassador by the Minister for Foreign Affairs have been examined by the American Government and the British Government. They are interesting but in their present form do not attain the degree of aid and collaboration which the two Governments were encouraged to expect from the Turkish note of [Page 847] April 17. The aim of the two Governments remains the complete cutting off of the commodities of strategic importance mentioned in their notes of April 14. They recognize, however, that this may involve certain difficulties in practice at the present time and are prepared to come to an understanding with Turkey falling short of this aim provided that they receive a prior written assurance from the Turkish Government:
- (a)
- That for the duration of the war Turkey will continue to prohibit the export of chrome ore to Germany and her allies.
- (b)
- That commencing immediately and for the duration of the war and whatever may be the commercial arrangements existing or to be concluded with Germany and other Axis countries, the Turkish Government will ensure that the annual export from Turkey to those countries of the commodities enumerated in the American note of April 14, 1944, will in no case exceed 50% of the actual deliveries of each commodity made to the country concerned in 1943; and that no more than ½th of such amounts will be exported in any one month. (N. B. The American Government and the British Government expect that in case of agreement with Germany or other Axis countries not already concluded or renewed the Turkish Government will find it possible to reduce its contractual obligations to this extent.)
- (c)
- That within the limits of the foregoing the strategic commodities in question will only be supplied to Germany and other Axis countries insofar as they represent the counter value of goods which after full discussion between Turkey and the American and British Governments as to each proposed transaction are mutually agreed to be essential to Turkey’s economy and that in cases when it is found possible to replace by goods from Allied sources enemy goods which would represent the counter value of Turkish exports of strategic commodities the deliveries of such commodities will be still further reduced to that extent below the limit in (b) above.
- (d)
- That the Turkish Government will furnish in confidence to the American Government and the British Government all relevant statistics.
On receipt of these assurances the American Government, the British Government, while reserving full liberty at any time to press for reductions in Turkish exports to enemy countries if they consider it necessary to do so in their vital interests, are prepared to enter into immediate discussions on the basis of (c) above, such discussions to cover inter alia the extent to which Turkey’s essential needs can be supplied from Allied sources within the limits of material possibilities, the conditions on which existing export bans on commercial supplies destined for Turkey can be removed, and future purchasing arrangements.”