761.6711/3–2145: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union ( Harriman ) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 21—6:10 p.m.]
835. Moscow press March 20–21 publishes following announcement of Information Bureau of People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs of USSR:
“On March 19th People’s Commissar of Foreign Affairs of USSR V. M. Molotov, in connection with approaching termination of period [Page 1220] of effectiveness of Soviet-Turkish treaty of Friendship and Neutrality, concluded December 17th, 1925,6 handed Turkish Ambassador Mr. Sarper, on behalf of Soviet Government, a statement for transmission to Government of Turkish Republic.
“In this statement it is declared that Soviet Government, acknowledging value of Soviet-Turkish Treaty of December 17, 1925 in cause of maintaining friendly relations between Soviet Union and Turkey, nevertheless considers it necessary to assert that owing to deep changes which have taken place particularly in course of second world war, this treaty no longer corresponds to the new situation and requires serious improvement.
“In view of the above, Soviet Government gave Government of Turkish Republic notice of its desire to denounce above-mentioned treaty along with all its supplementary clauses in accordance with points of November 17, 1935 protocol providing for procedure of its denunciations.
“Turkish Ambassador Mr. Sarper replied that he would immediately transmit V. M. Molotov’s statement to Turkish Government.”7
Sent to Department as 835; repeated to Ankara as 16.
- Signed at Paris on December 17, 1925, League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. clvii, p. 355; Protocol of Prolongation, signed at Ankara December 17, 1929, ibid., p. 361; Protocol of Prolongation, signed at Ankara October 30, 1931, ibid., p. 367; Protocol of Prolongation, signed at Ankara November 7, 1935, ibid., vol. cxxxix, p. 129.↩
- In telegram 836, March 21, 1945, Ambassador Harriman reported that Izvestiya for March 21 carried an editorial entitled “Regarding Soviet-Turkish Relations”. The Embassy reported that the article, quoting from the Molotov statement of March 19, and reviewing the history of the treaty of 1925, asserted in effect that “… it cannot go unmentioned that during present war Soviet-Turkish relations have left much to be desired at various times. Automatically to leave in force a treaty concluded under completely different circumstances would not, of course, be in internal interests of either side. It would also not be in interest of fruitful development of international relations as whole at time when democratic countries united for defeat of German aggressor have already concerned themselves with laying foundation for lasting peace.” (761.6711/3–2145)↩