740.0011 EW 1939/31842: Telegram
The Chargé in Turkey (Kelley) to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Under Secretary of State (Stettinius)
1823. Most secret for the President, Secretary and Under-Secretary
I have been authoritatively informed that in the conversations at Cairo between the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Eden,1 [Page 162] Eden requested that Turkey make available air bases for the Allies. Numan took the position that Turkey could not make available such bases to the Allies because Turkey was not prepared and equipped at the present time to meet successfully the German attack which would undoubtedly follow such action on the part of Turkey. I am informed that the demand for air bases was made by Eden under pressure from Moscow and that at the Moscow Conference, Molotov laid great stress on Turkey’s entering the war.2 However, from information now available here, it would appear that originally it was not intended to make such a demand of Turkey at least at the present time, because Eden’s interview with Numan was arranged, as I have reported,3 at the request of Numan and not of Eden.
- Regarding Eden’s talks with Numan Menemencioğlu, see ante, p. 149, and post, p. 164.↩
- For the discussions at the Moscow Conference regarding Turkey’s role in the war, see ante, pp. 117, 123, 135.↩
- Telegram 1790, November 2, 1943, noon, from Kelley, “Strictly Confidential”, stated: “The Minister for Foreign Affairs accompanied by the Secretary General and several other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is leaving Ankara today with the British Ambassador to meet Eden in Cairo. I understand that the meeting between Numan and Eden has been arranged as the result of an intimation by Numan that he would like to see Eden upon the latter’s return from Moscow.” (740.0011 EW 1939/31790)↩