740.0011 EW 1939/7–344
The President of the Turkish Republic (Inönü) to President Roosevelt 59
Dear Mr. President: I do not wish to allow the occasion of the departure on leave of your distinguished and eminent Ambassador to Ankara to pass without evoking here the memory of our Cairo meetings in December 1943, in the course of which I had an opportunity to appreciate personally and at first hand the qualities of heart and spirit of the great statesman who, with admirable vigilance and skill, watches over the glorious destinies of the American people.
Mr. Steinhardt, whom we are very happy to have among us, will explain to you, with the clarity of vision which distinguishes him, the political situation in Turkey. This is what it has always been, that is, an attitude of unswerving fidelity on the part of Turkey to its alliance, open solidarity with the cause of the Allies, and the determination, joining its efforts with those of its ally and friends, to give, at the proper time, more effective and tangible expression to this strong desire for cooperation.
We regard the great ideals of the American people in their pursuit of fraternal relations among civilized nations with understanding and admiration. We understand and admire them because we see in these ideals of justice and peace aimed at safeguarding the independence of all nations, even the smallest, in untroubled tranquility, the very expression of our own aspirations. I hope with all my heart that this war, which has caused so much unhappiness and destruction in the world, will not only result in the triumph of the Allies, but will at the same time serve as a conclusive, salutary lesson providing that aggression is never a profitable expedient.
In your message of October 26, 1943,60 I read with keen pleasure the passage in which you urge me to let you know if at any time you can be of service to me. Permit me, Mr. President, to express to you my profound gratitude for this mark of friendship. Rest assured that I shall be very happy to call upon your assistance whenever the occasion arises.
I hope, Mr. President, that circumstances will one day afford us an opportunity to meet and discuss at length the grave problems facing the world of tomorrow.
Please accept, Mr. President, the expression of my sincere and cordial friendship.
- Marginal notation on the French text copy in the Department’s files: “Original left Aug. 18 with F[ranklin] D. R[oosevelt] by L[aurence] A. S[teinhardt]”.↩
- Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Cairo and Tehran, 1943, p. 43.↩