262A.0041/7–2850
The Embassy in Turkey to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs1
The Embassy of the United States of America presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has the honor to refer to the former’s Note No. 2131 of January 10, 1948 and to its Note Verbale of October 10, 1948, both concerning the liquidation of German assets in Turkey and the restitution of looted property, including gold.2 Reference is also made to subsequent conversations had with officials of the Ministry in regard to these problems.
The Embassy is now under instructions to bring again to the attention of the Turkish Government the fact that the question of the liquidation of enemy assets in Turkey and the restoration of looted property, including gold, has not been disposed of. The principles, both international and moral, which govern this question, have been fully set out in the Embassy’s earlier communications.
It is understood that draft legislation has been prepared which, on enactment, would give the Turkish Executive powers to negotiate on this question, but that it is unlikely that this measure will be considered by the Turkish Grand National Assembly for several months to come. The Embassy would appreciate it if the Ministry would confirm whether the information is correct.
For reasons which the Ministry will readily understand, it is desirable that negotiations for the settlement of these two outstanding matters should be conducted at the earliest opportunity. The United States Government, therefore, in agreement with the Governments of the United Kingdom and France,3 proposes that the two aspects of the subject, namely, the restitution of looted property and the liquidation of enemy assets be considered separately. While the three Governments are fully cognizant of the necessity for enabling legislation which would authorize negotiation on the question of enemy assets in Turkey, they fail to understand the apparent necessity for legislation to permit the Turkish Government to return the looted property to the rightful owners. The Embassy, therefore, in association with the Embassies of the United Kingdom and France, is instructed to propose that negotiations for the settlement of the question of restitution of the looted property, including gold, should not await the enactment of the legislative measures described above but should be conducted as soon as possible.
[Page 1284]The United States Government hopes that this proposal will be favorably considered by the Turkish Government and that an early reply may be expected.4
- Enclosure 1 to despatch 53, July 28, from Ankara (262A.0041/7–2850).↩
- Neither printed. For documentation on the question of the disposition of German external assets, see Foreign Relations, 1948, vol. ii, pp. 853 ff.↩
- The British and French Embassies in Turkey presented similar notes to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 25.↩
- No reply of the Turkish Government to the present note has been found in Department of State files for 1950.↩