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  4. Document 623

740.00119 Council/12–2945: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Turkey ( Wilson )

secret
Washington , January 2, 1946—8 p.m.

1. Your 1639, Dec 29.6 Problems connected with Turkey were not on the agenda of the Three Power Conference in Moscow7 and there were no talks on these problems between us and Russians. Bevin8 however did ask Molotov9 what the Russians intended to do with regard to these problems. He was not satisfied with reply and so far as can be ascertained the conversation resulted in no change in situation. You may in your discretion inform Turks that we did not discuss problems connected with Turkey at Moscow. It is believed it would [be] preferable not to refer to conversation which took place between Molotov and Bevin since British Ambassador10 will probably give Turks such information in this respect as British Govt may desire Turks to have.

An outline of the discussions which took place with regard to Iran is being forwarded to you in a subsequent telegram.11 In view of delicacy of this situation it would be preferable for you to limit your comments to Turks with regard to this matter to a confidential statement to effect that you understand that we had a number of conversations with Russians on subject of Iran, that we made it clear to [Page 805] Russians that we regarded developments there of extreme importance not only because of the special commitments taken by the British, the Russians and ourselves with regard to Iran but also because of the basic principle involved. You may add that we were not able to reach any solution of Iranian problem but that we are continuing to work for a satisfactory solution.

Sent Ankara, repeated Tehran, London and Moscow.12

Byrnes
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. For documentation on the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers, December 16–26, 1945, see Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. ii, pp. 560 ff.↩
  3. Ernest Bevin, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩
  4. Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.↩
  5. Sir Maurice D. Peterson, at Ankara.↩
  6. Not printed. For additional documentation on Iran, see pp. 289 ff; see also Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. viii, pp. 359 ff.↩
  7. As Nos. 3, 17, and 6, respectively.↩