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{
    "localId": "7788604",
    "label": "War Department Report, The Soviet Union",
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    "id": "7788604",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7788604",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "War Department Report, The Soviet Union",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7788604",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "Subject Files"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Cold War",
        "International relations",
        "United States-Soviet relations"
    ],
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        {
            "logicalDate": "1948-01-01",
            "year": 1948
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{
    "seq": 2,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/4/7886/7788604/content/presidential-libraries/truman/602191/750715/hst-psf_750715_02-54.jpg",
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    "ocrText": "THE SOVIET UNION\nWorld War I as a forward-looking, nationalistic repub-\nTurkey's livestock and wool, with additional Soviet im-\nlic, having no colonial possessions or territorial aspira-\nports consisting of cotton, leather, dried fruit, and va-\ntions. Kemal Ataturk's policy, enunciated in 1922, of\nlonia (a tanning agent). Soviet exports to Turkey have\nsafeguarding Turkey's independence and territorial in-\nconsisted of cheap cotton goods, sugar, some machinery,\ntegrity, and Turkey's willingness to maintain friendship\nand a little mineral oil. At present, strained relations\nwith any nation respecting this determination, are still\nbetween the two countries have almost completely cut\nbeing followed. At present, Soviet pressure has resulted\noff trade.\nin Turkey's seeking outside support for this policy.\nThe Straits have considerable commercial value both\nTurkey, now allied with Great Britain, also is seeking to\nto Turkey and to the Soviet Union. The anticipated tre-\ndevelop closer relations with the United States and with\nmendous expansion of Soviet agriculture, trade, and in-\nthe Arab States. She has announced her wholehearted\ndustry probably will increase considerably the number of\nsupport of the U. N.\nSoviet vessels using the Straits. The Soviet satellite\nThe Turks are not seriously worried over Soviet sub-\nBalkan States of Bulgaria and Rumania also are closely\nversive activities within their borders, for the Turkish\nconcerned with the Straits problem, since the Straits\npeople definitely are not receptive to Soviet propaganda,\nare the only sea outlet for them. In 1937, Bulgarian,\nand the Turkish secret police are efficient. Recently, op-\nGreek, Rumanian, and Yugoslav ships using this channel\nposition parties have been formed for the first time in\nhandled over 21/2 million net tons.\n20 years, but none of them has taken issue with President\nIsmet Inonu's foreign policy.\nSociological Significance\nTurkey's Economy Not Complementary to\nTurkey contains a Kurdish population estimated at 2\nThat of U. S. S. R.\nmillion. Soviet support of the movement for an autono-\nmous Kurdistan (which eventually would come under\nTurkey's economic significance to the Soviet Union\nSoviet domination) has increased Turkish vigilance over\nis limited because she lacks large reserves of key minerals\nthe Kurds in eastern Turkey. Should Turkey be reduced\nwhich the Soviets need. Primarily, Turkey is an agri-\nto a satellite State, the Soviets could utilize the large num-\ncultral country, with 80 percent of the population classi-\nbers of Turkish Kurds to threaten Iraq, which also con-\nfied as peasants. Her chief exports are agricultural prod-\ntains a sizable Kurd population.\nucts, such as leaf tobacco, nuts, wheat, wool, cotton, live-\nstock, fruits, and olive oil. The only mineral exported\nConclusions\nin large quantities is chrome. Turkish imports are chiefly\nDetermined resistance on the part of the united Turkish\nmanufactured goods that are not yet supplied by an ex-\npeople and their government has checked Soviet expan-\npanding home industry.\nsionist aims in Turkey, which are motivated by strategic\nTurkey's mineral resources include: coal, lignite, ce-\nrather than economic considerations. Since the Soviets\nment, iron ore, copper, chrome, boracite, zinc, silver-lead\nhave failed temporarily to attain their objectives by a\nore, emery, zinc-lead, manganese, mercury, meerschaum,\nthreat of military action, it is uncertain whether the U.S\nand asbestos. Oil has been discovered in southeastern\nS. R. will succeed through the more subtle methods of\nTurkey, but, owing to lack of equipment, the quantity\nconciliation or infiltration. Soviet resumption of the more\nand quality of the deposits have not been ascertained. Of\nextreme methods of pressure may occur at any time, but,\nthe minerals listed, copper, zinc, silver-lead ore, emery,\nunless Anglo-American support of Turkey is completely\nzinc-lead, and mercury would be of use to the Soviet Union,\nwithdrawn, or internal conditions in Turkey take an un-\nbut production of all of them is still of moderate size.\nforeseen turn, it is doubtful whether, in the near future,\nTurkish-Soviet trade never has been of major signifi-\nthe Soviet Union will achieve control either of the Straits\ncance. The Soviet Union has been the best customer for\nor of Turkey as a whole.\n54\nRESTRICTED"
}