864.01/522: Telegram
The Consul General at Istanbul (Berry) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 12—6:43 a.m.]
239R48. This is my April 11, 11 a.m. to Stockholm to be repeated at the discretion of the Department to Berne:40
April 11, 11 a.m. Dezsö Ujvary, Consul General of Hungary in Istanbul, has returned from Ankara trip reported in my 210R37 March 29, 6 p.m.41 While there he had two conversations with Kemal Aziz,42 Director General, Consular Section, Turkish Ministry Foreign Affairs, and made following queries.
- 1.
- What would be the attitude of Turkish Government if he led, or took active role in formation of, Free Hungarian movement in Turkey.
- 2.
- Whether he might expect Turkish Government to permit him unofficially to enjoy personal status of Consul General.
Kemal Aziz appeared friendly and sympathetic in morning conversation but assumed distant and formal attitude in afternoon at which time he made following replies:
- (1)
- It would be inadvisable for Ujvary to engage in any political activity whatsoever. It even would be appropriate for Ujvary not only to refrain from political activity but to use his influence to persuade local Hungarian colony to take same attitude.
- (2)
- In view of his resignation it would be extremely difficult for the Turkish Government to permit him to enjoy even unofficially the personal rights and status of a Consul General.
In general conversation Kemal Aziz [stat]ed that Turkish Government was especially anxious to avoid friction with Germany in view” of problems posed by Kallay’s use of Turkish Legation in Budapest as refuge. He implied that if Ujvary refrained from political activity Turkish Government might not raise the question of his personal status.
After consultation with political friends in Istanbul, Ujvary will inform me as to his and their decisions.