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294550206
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Memorandum, Text of Note Delivered to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey
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doc
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document
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1
Source metadata
id
294550206
contentType
document
title
Memorandum, Text of Note Delivered to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey
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President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)
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294550206
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2
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1945-11-02
month
11
year
1945
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nara-archive
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1
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photo
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48c2d92fdec6499c
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November 2, 1945.
TEXT OF NOTE DELIVERED TO THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS OF TURKEY ON NOVEMBER 2, 1945, AT 3:30 P.M.,
ANKARA TIME.
The American Government has given careful considera-
tion to the Turkish Government's note of August 20, 1945,
together with the aide memoire attached thereto, concern-
ing the question of the Straits.
The Turkish Government is no doubt aware that at the
recent conference in Berlin, the President of the United
States concurred with Premier Stalin and Prime Minister
Attlee (1) that the Convention of 1936 signed at Montreux
regarding the régime of the Straits should be revised to
meet present day conditions and (2) that the matter should
be the subject of direct conversations between each of the
three governments and the Turkish Government. It is the
earnest hope of the Government of the United States that
the problem of the control and use of the Straits can be
solved in a manner which will promote international security,
will show due consideration for the interests of Turkey and
all Black Sea riparian powers, and will assure the free use
of this important waterway to the commerce of all nations.
It is the understanding of the Government of the United
States that the Montreux Convention is subject to revision
in 1946. This Government suggests that an international
conference be held for the purpose of revising the convention
in order that the régime of the Straits may be more in harmony
with changed world conditions. The United States, if invited,
would be pleased to participate in such a conference.
The Government of the United States is of the opinion
that a revision of the Montreux Convention undertaken to
meet changed world conditions should be based on the follow-
ing principles: (1) the Straits to be open to the merchant
vessels of all nations at all times; (2) the Straits to be
open to the transit of the warships of Black Sea powers at
all times; (3) save for an agreed limited tonnage in time of
peace, passage through the Straits to be denied to the war-
ships of non-Black Sea powers at all times, except with the
specific consent of the Black Sea powers or except when act-
ing under the authority of the United Nations; and (4) certain
changes to modernize the Montreux Convention, such as the
substitution of the United Nations system for that of the
League of Nations and the elimination of Japan as a signatory.
The British and Soviet Governments are also being in-
formed of the American Government's views set forth above.
(Handed informally as above to Mr. Eralp, Second Secretary,
Turkish Embassy, on November 2, 1945, in accordance with
instructions received from GVA. References are Dept's. 1049,
Oct. 30, to Ankara, and Ankara's no. 1397, Nov. 1).