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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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Letter from the representative of the peopleʹs commissariat of foreign affairs of the RSFSR in Turkey to the chairman of the grand national assembly of Turkey Mustafa Kemal.

April 9, 1921 no. 319

Mr. Chairman,

I am happy to see that the valiant Turkish people, led by their national government headed by you, have once again triumphed over the new effort of imperialism to seize their native land and subject it to their exploitation. But at the same time, I see with sorrow that the defeated and forced to leave your territory, the Greek troops, seeing the final collapse of their hopes to achieve the intended goal, in impotent rage, completely devastate the country as they purify, plunging the population into terrible poverty, ‐ another proof of that that imperialism can only destroy, having no other goal than satisfying its own greed. Toiling Russia, which itself has taken so much trouble to rid itself of the greed of western capitalism and imperialism, follows with lively participation the noble struggle of the Turkish people in defense of their national existence and is always ready to alleviate their suffering as much as possible. Therefore, I ask you, Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the RSFSR and the working people of Soviet Russia, to accept their modest gift of 30,000 rubles in gold to alleviate the needs of the population of those areas that the cruel invader devastated before leaving them.

I flatter myself with the hope that this modest gift of the working people of Russia will help the Turkish people understand the difference between rapacious imperialism, on the one hand, and the fraternal people of the working people of Soviet Russia, on the other.

In conclusion, I wish you to complete your struggle for the independence of the Turkish people as soon as possible and with full success, and I ask you, Mr. Chairman, to accept the assurances of my highest consideration.

Representative of the peopleʹs commissariat for foreign affairs of the RSFSR

Mdivani

Print. By architect.

The following reply from Mustafa Kemal was received to this letter on

April 12, 1921:

ʺMr. Representative,

I bring you my deep gratitude for the sum of 30,000 rubles in gold, which you were pleased to transfer to the red crescent society in favor of those who survived the Greek massacre in the areas liberated by our victory. This generous and humane act of Soviet Russia towards the unfortunate, whom the greed of imperialism and the barbarism of the Greeks plunged into the most terrible poverty, will be fully appreciated by the entire Turkish people. On the other hand, I am happy to see your lively participation in the struggle of the Turkish people defending their homeland against the invader. The atrocities and devastations committed by the Greeks are such that they should revolt the human conscience, and I would be very grateful if you would report this to your government with a request to give widespread publicity to the crimes committed by the Greeks during their last offensive.

Taking your wishes for an early and complete victory of our troops over all our enemies as a good omen, I ask you, Mr. Representative, to accept the assurances of my deepest respect. ʺ