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  Selected Secret Documents from Soviet Foreign Policy Documents Archives - 1919 to 1941

Concentrated on 1st and  2nd WW Correspondence and Meetings related to Turkey, Balkans and Iran, with some additions from Afghanistan and India.

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Conversation of the peopleʹs commissioner for foreign affairs of the USSR  Molotov with the ambassador of the Turkish republic in the USSR 

December 10, 1940

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The ambassador declares that many changes have taken place in world political life since his meeting with comrade Molotov *. Of these changes, Turkey is most interested in Italyʹs declaration of war on Greece. As the ambassador predicted during his last conversation with comrade Molotov, Greece took up arms to defend itself. Fortunately for all the Balkan countries, she successfully fights against Italy.

After Italyʹs declaration of war on Greece in the Balkans, an alarming period began. It seemed that new complications would follow. The trips of comrade Molotov and the Bulgarian tsar Boris to berlin were followed by comrade Sobolov’s visit to the Bulgarian capital **. After comrade Sobolov’s visit to Sofía, Turkey was able to state that the ʺwind of warʺ has stopped blowing in the Balkans, and the Turkish government hopes that the Balkans in the world will survive the ongoing crisis.

When the Italian‐Greek war broke out, the ambassador, at the direction of his government, asked comrade Vyshinsky about how the Soviet government viewed this war. Comrade Vyshinsky conveyed to the ambassador the answer of the Soviet government, which was received with satisfaction in Ankara. In addition, in response to the ambassadorʹs request, comrade Dekanozov informed him of comrade Molotovʹs trip to berlin. The explanations given by comrade Dekanozov were very reassuring, since they represented an official refutation of the tendentious rumors spread after comrade Molotovʹs return from berlin.

Turkey’s leaders have an impression that turns into a conviction that the atmosphere of peace and tranquility that has recently been established in the Balkans owes its origin to the influence of the Soviet government on current events. The Turkish government would be very happy if comrade Molotov could inform him of the position of the Soviet government in relation to Turkey and Bulgaria, so that Turkey could take this position into account in subsequent policy towards its neighbors.

Comrade Molotov replies that he is ready to inform the ambassador on questions of interest to the latter. Reminding the ambassador that the latter asked comrade Vyshinsky a question about comrade Sobolov’s trip to Sofía, comrade Molotov confirms the answer given by comrade Vyshinsky that the negotiations in Bulgaria were conducted under the direct supervision of comrade Molotov.

After his trip to berlin, comrade Molotov got the impression that Bulgaria was feeling bad, that it was apprehensive about its position and was looking for a guarantee from Italy or Germany. In this regard, on behalf of comrade Molotov, comrade Soboleva visited the Bulgarian tsar and informed him that if comrade Molotovʹs impressions were true and Bulgaria needed a guarantee to maintain peace, then the Soviet government was ready to discuss this issue in the interests of peace.

Comrade Molotov says that he should, as a frank statement, add that he had the impression that an attack on Bulgaria from Turkey was not ruled out. Therefore, comrade Soboleva was instructed to say in Sofía that the USSR considers it possible to discuss with Bulgaria either the question of giving a guarantee to Bulgaria from the USSR, or the question of a pact of mutual assistance between the USSR and Bulgaria. The Bulgarian government gave the following answer to this: the Bulgarian government believes that at this time the situation in Bulgaria has improved and, in this regard,, it does not see at the moment the need to obtain the guarantee about which we raised the question.

Thanking comrade Molotov for his report and for the frankness with which it was made, Aktay promises to immediately report it to his government. For his part, the ambassador considers it necessary to state that the Turkish government has never considered the issue of Turkeyʹs attack on Bulgaria. The Turkish government, on the contrary, could state numerous signs that spoke of the danger of an attack on Turkey from Bulgaria. Recently, however, tensions in Turkish‐Bulgarian relations have been defused and the Turkish government has asked the Bulgarian government whether there is a way to eliminate the atmosphere of uncertainty prevailing in relations between the two countries. Aktay suggests that the Turkish government is currently exchanging views with the Bulgarian government on this issue.

Returning to the question of the possibility of a Turkish attack on Bulgaria and emphasizing that he is making a completely official statement, the ambassador says that the Turkish government will not take any action, especially in the Balkans and the black sea region, without the consent of the Soviet government. The ambassador asks to have full confidence in his words that Turkey has never considered the possibility of an attack on Bulgaria.

Comrade Molotov replies that, as is widely known, Turkey has concentrated a large number of its troops in areas directly bordering Bulgaria, and this naturally raises certain questions and doubts. As for the negotiations between Bulgaria and Turkey, which the ambassador mentioned, are they not negotiations on a mutual assistance pact or some other similar agreement? If the ambassador could inform comrade Molotov on this issue in the same way as he informed him about Sobolov’s trip, then such information would be of interest.

Aktay acknowledges the presence of a large number of Turkish troops in Thrace. According to him, it was caused by the information that reached the Turkish government that Turkey is threatened with an attack from the north. The arrival of German troops in Romania and the militant position of Bulgaria were the reasons for the concentration of Turkish troops.

Regarding the Bulgarian‐Turkish negotiations, the ambassador states that he does not know their details and does not know if there is a question of a mutual assistance pact. The ambassador promises to ask his government about this and expresses confidence that he will be able to convey to comrade Molotov the answer to his question no later than 48 hours later. 

The ambassador will add that he heard about these negotiations on the radio from Ankara. In addition, a week ago he received a telegram from Saracoglu, who reported about the relaxation of tensions in the TurkishBulgarian relations and that the Turkish government was exchanging views with the Bulgarian government on the possibility of “allaying uncertainty” in these relations.

At the end of the conversation, the ambassador asks about comrade Molotovʹs view of the general situation: are we on the eve of peace or on the eve of the continuation of the war?

Comrade Molotov replies that there are only rumors and talks about peace, while the war is going on, it, unfortunately, is a reality.

The ambassador says that we should be happy that there is peace in the area of the globe that we occupy.

Comrade Molotov replies that peace is a great blessing and we must spare no effort to maintain it.

Recorded subcerob of wua rf, f.ob, op. 2, p.z, d.19, l.10‐14.