867.014/1–346: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 4—11:25 a.m.]
8. Deptel 1210, Dec. 21 [29], 9 p.m.13 In conversation yesterday with Secretary General, Foreign Office,14 I gave him orally summary of views US Government as expressed by Acting Secretary to Turkish Ambassador, Washington.15 Foreign Office had not yet received report from Turkish Ambassador.
Erkin expressed sincere appreciation for US views. He said there may be some nations which would give way to resentment or defeatism in despair of effective UNO action, but Turkey is not one of these nations. It is true that failure Moscow Conference to reach settlement of Iranian problem was blow to Turkey’s hopes for cooperation among Big Three in behalf of principles of UNO, and this failure has caused widespread disappointment. Nevertheless Turkish Govt appreciates that at Moscow US and UK made supreme effort to draw USSR back into world cooperation and were prepared to pay heavy price. Whether this effort was successful only time will tell. In any case Turkey places its full hope and confidence in UNO and in good faith and determination of US, which took initiative in establishing UNO, to make it effective instrument for prevention aggression.
He said that while patience is beginning to wear out in Turkey as result of continuous pressure to which they have been subjected by USSR since last March, Turkish authorities are firmly resolved to prevent any incident or manifestation of aggressive character in Turkey. He said that if there is further Soviet pressure, and he expects this, there will undoubtedly be strong articles in reply in Turkish press and patriotic demonstrations throughout republic as have recently taken place since territorial demands were advanced for Soviet [Page 806] Georgia but these would not take on hostile or provocative character. In reply to my specific question he said he was confident there would be no manifestation against Armenians.
Erkin said he attached particular importance to view of US Government (paragraph 5 Deptel 1210) that general questions involved in Turco-Soviet relations extend beyond Turk territory into sphere of world peace and security and for assurance that in this sphere US Government takes deepest interest. He said Turk Government fully shares US view.
- Not printed; it gave a partial summary of memorandum of conversation, December 29, 1945, Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. viii, p. 1287.↩
- Feridun Cemal Erkin.↩
- Huseyin Ragip Baydur.↩