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convertibility of sterling, and the difficulty of obtaining hard currencies generally is
retarding Turkey's foreign trade.
With the realization that their British allies must adopt a policy of retrenchment
in the Near and Middle East, the Turks are depending more and more upon the US for
help. They have been greatly heartened by the financial aid provided by the US and
especially by the broad implications of a policy which, in the words used by President
Truman in his speech to Congress on 12 March 1947, would "help free people to main-
tain their free institutions and their national integrity against aggressive movements
that seek to impose on them totalitarian regimes." The Turks regard this message,
and the Act of Congress calling for aid to Greece and Turkey which followed, as a
categorical indication to the world that those two countries, at least, are not alone in
seeking to thwart Soviet ambitions.
2. SOVIET-TURKISH RELATIONS.
While the Turkish Republic and the Soviet Union are successors to regimes which
frequently warred against each other, it was the USSR which provided support to the
struggling Turkish nationalists in their efforts to drive the invading Greeks from their
soil and to found their republic. In April 1920 the nationalists concluded a pact with
the Soviets by which they were to receive military supplies. In December of the same
year, agreement was reached between the nationalists and Soviet Armenia as to their
common boundary, an agreement which was confirmed in March 1921 by a treaty with
the USSR signed at Moscow. In October 1921 the Turkish nationalists formally rec-
ognized the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. At the Conference of Lausanne in
1923, the status of the Straits was agreed upon among the powers concerned. The
USSR, however, never ratified the treaty.
On 17 December 1925 Turkey and the Soviet Union signed a pact of friendship, which
was extended and amplified exactly four years later. On 8 March 1931 each country
agreed not to add to its Black Sea fleet without giving six months' notice to the other.
When, in 1936, the Turks asked for revision of the status of the Straits because of the
approaching world crisis, Turkey was granted permission at the Conference at Montreux
to refortify the Straits. (See Chapter III, Section 5.)
The Soviets signed and ratified this treaty; yet to some extent it constituted a
major turning-point in Soviet-Turkish relations, for the Soviets now realized that
Turkey was depending on support from the Western European Powers-the UK and
France. The Soviet-German pact of August 1939 engendered the worst fears in
the
Turkish mind, traditionally filled with misgivings as to the purposes of the northern
colossus and not yet having learned for certain what secret agreements might have
been concluded between Stalin and Hitler. With the object of drawing up some docu-
ment which would incorporate mutual reassurance, the Turkish Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Sükrü Saracoglu (later premier), went to Moscow in September 1939 after
Germany had attacked Poland. Unable to reach any agreement, he returned to
Ankara with the report that the Soviets were demanding special safeguards and privi-
leges in the Straits. On 19 October a tripartite Anglo-Turkish-French treaty of friend-
SECRET
32
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"ocrText": "SECRET\nconvertibility of sterling, and the difficulty of obtaining hard currencies generally is\nretarding Turkey's foreign trade.\nWith the realization that their British allies must adopt a policy of retrenchment\nin the Near and Middle East, the Turks are depending more and more upon the US for\nhelp. They have been greatly heartened by the financial aid provided by the US and\nespecially by the broad implications of a policy which, in the words used by President\nTruman in his speech to Congress on 12 March 1947, would \"help free people to main-\ntain their free institutions and their national integrity against aggressive movements\nthat seek to impose on them totalitarian regimes.\" The Turks regard this message,\nand the Act of Congress calling for aid to Greece and Turkey which followed, as a\ncategorical indication to the world that those two countries, at least, are not alone in\nseeking to thwart Soviet ambitions.\n2. SOVIET-TURKISH RELATIONS.\nWhile the Turkish Republic and the Soviet Union are successors to regimes which\nfrequently warred against each other, it was the USSR which provided support to the\nstruggling Turkish nationalists in their efforts to drive the invading Greeks from their\nsoil and to found their republic. In April 1920 the nationalists concluded a pact with\nthe Soviets by which they were to receive military supplies. In December of the same\nyear, agreement was reached between the nationalists and Soviet Armenia as to their\ncommon boundary, an agreement which was confirmed in March 1921 by a treaty with\nthe USSR signed at Moscow. In October 1921 the Turkish nationalists formally rec-\nognized the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. At the Conference of Lausanne in\n1923, the status of the Straits was agreed upon among the powers concerned. The\nUSSR, however, never ratified the treaty.\nOn 17 December 1925 Turkey and the Soviet Union signed a pact of friendship, which\nwas extended and amplified exactly four years later. On 8 March 1931 each country\nagreed not to add to its Black Sea fleet without giving six months' notice to the other.\nWhen, in 1936, the Turks asked for revision of the status of the Straits because of the\napproaching world crisis, Turkey was granted permission at the Conference at Montreux\nto refortify the Straits. (See Chapter III, Section 5.)\nThe Soviets signed and ratified this treaty; yet to some extent it constituted a\nmajor turning-point in Soviet-Turkish relations, for the Soviets now realized that\nTurkey was depending on support from the Western European Powers-the UK and\nFrance. The Soviet-German pact of August 1939 engendered the worst fears in\nthe\nTurkish mind, traditionally filled with misgivings as to the purposes of the northern\ncolossus and not yet having learned for certain what secret agreements might have\nbeen concluded between Stalin and Hitler. With the object of drawing up some docu-\nment which would incorporate mutual reassurance, the Turkish Minister for Foreign\nAffairs, Sükrü Saracoglu (later premier), went to Moscow in September 1939 after\nGermany had attacked Poland. Unable to reach any agreement, he returned to\nAnkara with the report that the Soviets were demanding special safeguards and privi-\nleges in the Straits. On 19 October a tripartite Anglo-Turkish-French treaty of friend-\nSECRET\n32"
}