F.W. 761.6711/3–2245: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:44 p.m.]
390. My 385, March 21. In conversation last night with the Secretary General of the Foreign Office12 he stated that when informing the Turkish Ambassador of the intention of the Soviet Government to terminate the Soviet-Turkish treaty of friendship and neutrality, Molotov had explained that the treaty was “out of date and required revision”, pointing out that when the treaty was negotiated in 1925, “the Soviet Union had no treaty with Great Britain such as now exists13 and did not even have diplomatic relations with the United States”.14 Molotov indicated that the Soviet Government is prepared to conclude a new treaty with Turkey which would take into consideration changed world conditions.
In discussing the subject later in the evening with the Soviet Ambassador,15 he remarked that the termination of the treaty should not [Page 1224] be regarded as “unfriendly”, but as merely reflecting the desire of the Soviet Government “to bring the treaty up to date”. He expressed the opinion that little difficulty would be encountered in negotiating a new treaty.
Still later in the evening, the President’s16 confidential secretary17 intimated that if no demands are made by the Soviet Government which infringe Turkish sovereignty “such as a request for bases on Turkish territory”, the negotiating of a new treaty would encounter no obstacles from the Turkish Government. Anderiman said that notice of termination of the treaty has been expected by the Turkish Government for quite some time.
Repeated to Moscow as No. 17.
- Cevat Acikalin.↩
- This is a reference to the Treaty of Alliance signed at London May 26, 1942, League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. cciv, p. 353; for documentation regarding events leading to the conclusion of this treaty, see Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. iii, pp. 490–566 passim.↩
- For documentation regarding the recognition by the United States of the Soviet Union, November 16. 1933, see ibid., 1933, vol. ii, pp. 778 ff.↩
- Sergey Alexandrovich Vinogradov.↩
- Ismet Inönü.↩
- Süreyya Anderiman, Director of President Inönü’s Private Secretariat.↩