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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 first deputy peopleʹs commissioner for foreign affairs of the USSR la. Vyshinsky with the ambassador of the Turkish republic in the USSR 

Sent to c. Stalin, c. Molotov, c. Voroshilov, c. Kaganovich, c. Mikoyan, c. Lozovsky, c. Sobolov

February 20, 1941

Secret

The ambassador came to me wanting to know how I assess the declaration just signed by Turkey and Bulgaria.

I told the ambassador that it seems difficult for me to give an assessment, knowing about this declaration only from the text published in the press. I would like to preliminarily get acquainted with the ambassadorʹs opinion on the declaration.

The ambassador said that I have the right to ask his opinion, since the outlook and goals of the Turkish government three months ago were different [than] at present.

Previously, Turkey and Bulgaria intended to conclude an agreement based on negotiations between the secretary general of the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs Menemencioglu and the minister of foreign affairs of Bulgaria Kyoseivanov’s. But in view of the special position of Bulgaria in the Balkans and its agreement with Germany, the Bulgarian government asked Turkey to take these circumstances into account when concluding an agreement. The Bulgarian government feared that Germany would accept the negotiated agreement between Menemencioglu and Kyoseivanov’s as an act of hostility towards Germany. Turkey agreed with the Bulgarian proposals, and thus a declaration was signed, the preamble of which stated that the declaration did not affect the obligations of both sides towards third countries.

When I asked how England relates to the Turkish‐Bulgarian declaration, the ambassador replied that England was aware of it and gave its consent.

The only goal of both powers when signing the declaration, according to Aktay, was to maintain calm in the Balkans. The Turkish government hopes that everything will be fine. The ambassador asked me how the Soviet government viewed the Turkish‐Bulgarian declaration.

I replied to the ambassador that in international affairs it is necessary to judge declarations by the consequences. Wait and see. As for the USSR, the ambassador is well aware of the policy of the Soviet Union. Our policy remains unchanged. The Soviet Union will always be able to defend its interests.

The ambassador asked if I knew the details of Hitlerʹs conversation with tsvet‐kovic7‐21. I answered in the negative and in turn asked Aktay an analogous question. Aktay replied that the Yugoslav envoy Gavrilovic conveyed to him in general terms the content of this conversation. Hitler told Cvetkovic, said the ambassador that he guarantees Yugoslaviaʹs political independence and the integrity of its territory, and also promises Yugoslaviaʹs participation in a peace congress after the end of the war.

Aktay said that he views this statement by Hitler as a direct proposal for Yugoslavia to join the axis.

At the end of the conversation, the ambassador asked me whether one should believe the rumors about the sending by the Soviet government of a delegation headed by Soboleva to Bulgaria.

I replied to the ambassador that the Soviet government had not sent any delegations to Bulgaria. Sobolov was in Moscow.

Comrade Chumakova was present at the conversation.

A. Vyshinsky avp rf, f. 07, on. 2, p. 9, d. 24, l. 1‐2.