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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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Telegram of the plenipotentiary representative of the USSR in the Turkish republic A.V. Terentyev in the NKID of the USSR

June 20, 1940, urgent

I had Kirov. Oi believes that the expected declaration of Rafik Saydam will not take place, as the surrender of France rules out any statements made by Turkey a week ago. In his opinion, the Ankara pact has ceased to exist, and therefore ʺTurkey should think a little about reorienting its foreign policy either towards the USSR or Germany.ʺ Kirov told Mia some facts, which were confided to him in a highly secret manner by one senior official of the ministry of foreign affairs, that “Husrev Gerede, the Turkish ambassador in berlin, constantly spoke in his reports about the strength and might of Germany, advising to maintain good relations with her. For all 10 months of the war, Geredeʹs reports were not read, but were archived. Now the Turks urgently extracted them completely and began not only to read, but also to study. Unfortunately, the Turks saw that Gerede’s assumptions that Germany would win had come true. In one of his reports, the ambassador wrote about the map of the future Europe, and he made an assumption on the basis of his talks in berlin. He wrote that after Germany won, Turkey would be reduced to the category of small Asian states like Iran, Iraq; Kars‐Ardahan will have to go to the USSR, Thrace ‐ to Bulgaria, and the straits with adjacent regions, including the city of Istanbul, will be under the joint control of the Soviet Union, Germany, Italy and Turkey. Thus, Kirov continued, the Turks saw that Gerede’s assumptions had already been fulfilled by 80 percent. The last moment scares the Turks very much. They are afraid that the remaining 20 percent will be implemented. Moreover, Gerede wrote in his reports that there is an opinion in berlin that if the allies are defeated, then in Turkey the question of changing not only the entire government, but also ismet Inonu should inevitably arise. ʺ having listened to these reports of Kirov, I noticed that they are of interest, especially since the ambassador was informed about this by one of the responsible officials of the ministry of foreign affairs.

Then I asked Kirov about Bulgarian‐Italian relations and referred to a telegram from Sofia about Popov’s conversation with the Italian envoy, which speaks of exceptional cordiality and so on. Kirov, for some reason embarrassed, replied that he did not yet have confirmation of the reliability of this telegram. I asked about Bulgarian‐German relations. He said that these relations, as well as with Italy, are exceptionally good. “these countries,” continued the Bulgarian, “are dissatisfied with the situation that has developed after the world war, and therefore we fully share their views. We suffered for a long time; the Balkan countries oppressed us from all sides. We did well in taking a position of strict neutrality. If we stood in line with the Balkan states, the Balkans would have long been used either against Germany or against the USSR. Now we must receive a reward for our neutrality. ʺ I asked Kirov what, in his opinion, the reward should be and who would give it to Bulgaria. He replied: ʺat the peace conference, not only German‐Italian demands will be satisfied, but we will also be able, with the help of Germany, to get our former territories, primarily Dobruja and access to the Aegean Sea.ʺ Kirov was extremely positive about the message from Budapest that Hungary considers itself free from the terms of the Trianon treaty. He added that Bulgaria sees in the USSR a country that is sympathetic to its policies, and it would be very good if the USSR resolved the Bessarabia question. I reminded the Bulgarian of the words of comrade Molotov concerning bessarabia112. From Kirov’s words and behavior, I concluded that Bulgaria is now eagerly awaiting the outcome of the war, hoping that Germany will give it all the territories it once owned. Many diplomats have the impression that Bulgaria is now capable of completely falling into the arms of Germany in order to receive the award, which, in particular, Kirov told me about. The same opinion is shared by the Romanian and Greek military attaches, which they expressed in a conversation with Kutuzov. From our military workers, I learned that. The other day, there was allegedly a meeting with Papen with the participation of Peppo, Kirov and Maryasi, at which joint measures to work in Turkey and to intensify pro‐German activities in the Balkans were discussed. ʺ3 there is no doubt that the Germans are active we took up the local Bulgarians, who, in the current situation and in the hope of gaining their former territories, may jump in the direction of Germany. I consider it necessary to report on these conclusions, which I come to.

Terentyev

Hdl rf, f. 059, on. 1, I, 314, d. 2161, l. 290‐294.