811.248/576: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:32 p.m.]
607. Department’s 271, June 13, 11 a.m. I called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs this morning. After informing Saraçoğlu that flight took off from belligerent territory with instructions to avoid passing Turk territory in approaching enemy objective or in returning to [base, I expressed] profound regret of our Government that our planes had been forced to land on neutral Turk territory and assured him that landing was not in any way premeditated or intentional. Saraçoğlu replied that Turk Government quite understood circumstances, that it had assumed landing of our planes in Turkey to have been unintentional adding “such things happen in war time and have become rather common occurrences”.
At this point observing that I was making a note of what he was saying he remarked, “Don’t bother to make notes. I authorize you to draft my reply in any language you see fit which will make it clear to your Government that I quite understand the situation.” He laughingly inquired whether my instructions said anything about the planes to which I replied in negative. He then said, “Too bad I had hoped the American Government might be going to make a gift to us of the planes as we need four good transport planes very badly.”
He then read to me cable he had received this morning from Turk Ambassador in Washington to effect that Secretary had expressed regret of American Government at the incident.
It is already clear that landing in heart of capital of these large American bombers has impressed Turk officialdom and Turk public with extent of our participation in European war to a far greater degree than could any words on subject. In no quarter has there been slightest criticism or unfavorable comment. The crews are being treated as honored guests and the planes inspected by large crowds including the highest officials of Government and a surreptitious visit by President.94 The net effect of the incident has been wholly favorable to us. Under these circumstances and as it is most unlikely that the Turks would dare in view of international law return these planes to us during the continuance of the war particularly as they are and will be under the constant surveillance of Axis agents, I am of the opinion that their prompt gift to the Turkish Government for use as transport planes would create a profoundly favorable impression.
Furthermore it is by no means unlikely that the gift of these planes to the Turk Government might prompt it not to ask the officers to [Page 794] give their parole and to turn its back at an opportune moment to their departure from Turkey. There is the additional consideration that the planes are at present inaccessible to the officers who are very much concerned at the presence on board of certain highly secret instruments both American and British which they fear may fall into the hands of Axis agents who might succeed in bribing the Turkish guards.
I am reasonably certain that should our Government decide to make an immediate gift of these planes to the Turk Government I would have no difficulty in obtaining permission for the crews to assist in the reconditioning of the planes which would afford them an opportunity to deal with the instruments referred to above.
- Ismet Inönü.↩