740.0011 European War 1939/27636: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Matthews) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 27—3:20 p.m.]
697. For the President. My telegram number 691 January 27, 1 p.m. I have just received the following telegram from Ambassador Steinhardt as his number 7, January 26, 7 p.m.
[Page 1060]“Most Secret to be decoded by Matthews. Please inform the President that I have just returned from a meeting with President Inönü, who has asked me to transmit the following personal message from him to President Roosevelt:
‘I have received the message which Mr. Churchill has sent me to ask me in the name of Great Britain and the United States to have a conference with me or the Prime Minister on the subject of the equipment of the Turkish Army with the most modern arms now being manufactured and on the questions which concern the general defensive security of Turkey. I have transmitted to him my affirmative reply. I send Your Excellency my most cordial regards and my very warmest thanks for having given your valuable support to the proposed meeting. Signed Inönü.’
“Inönü also gave me a copy of his reply to Churchill which reads as follows:
‘I welcome with great satisfaction your request to have a conference with me in the name of Great Britain and the United States on the subject of the equipment of the Turkish Army with the most modern arms now being manufactured and also on the questions concerning the general defensive security of Turkey. The meeting may take place in accordance with your wishes at any time and at any place in Turkey and I would be especially happy to have this meeting with you. However, the constitution of the Republic imposes the obligation on the head of the state to designate [five groups garbled] the country and this legal requirement would not permit us to keep secret the proposed meeting. If a meeting in Turkey cannot take place it goes without saying that Prime Minister Saraçoğlu will be at your disposal for any meeting in Cyprus which you may designate. Also Marshal Cakmak could accompany him or meet with the British Chief of Staff at any time at any place.’
[“]In the course of my conversations with the President and the Prime Minister they made it unmistakably clear that President Inönü was quite prepared to receive Churchill in Turkey publicly or privately, with probability that a private meeting could not be kept secret, or to send Saraçoğlu and Cakmak to Cyprus as Churchill may elect.
[“]In conversation with the President he indicated that President Roosevelt’s support of the proposed meeting had played an important role in his decision to accept the proposal.”