Przymierze w kryzysie – polityka Wielkiej Brytanii wobec Turcji po ataku niemieckim na Związek Sowiecki
The alliance in crisis: the policy of Great Britain towards Turkey after the German attack on the Soviet Union

Summary/Abstract: On June 18th, 1941, Turkey signed a nonaggression pact with the Third Reich. This event was critically received by Great Britain. Fears were awoken in London of changes in the Turkish politics which had so far been oriented at close cooperation with the Allies. Four days later the Third Reich attacked the Soviet Union. The British government reacted immediately. Winston Churchill decided to offer aid to the attacked party, forgetting instantly about nearly two years of close German-Soviet cooperation. This move left Ankara anxious due to the conviction that the policy of its Northern neighbor threatened the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Turkey. It was feared that the uprising alliance might occur at the expense of Turkey. At the end of June 1941, the British foreign policy faced two critical challenges. Aiming at maintaining amicable relations with Turkey, the British had to, on one hand, prevent Germany and Turkey from entering close cooperation, and on the other, convince the Turkish authorities that the British cooperation with the Soviet Union would not pose a threat to the Turkish interest. The above aims determined the main direction of policy of the British diplomacy towards Turkey over the next year and a half. In the first case the success was achieved partially. Turkey was not included in the German scope of influence but the British diplomats failed to undermine the Turkish-German economic contract, especially its most important point, i.e., reinstating the export of chrome to the Third Reich. The British only managed to delay the delivery by having the Turkish government observe the agreement concluded at the beginning of 1940, whose provisions were valid until the end of 1942. In the second case the British did whatever they could to put the Turkish concerns at ease. First, in August 1941, they convinced the Soviet Union authorities to issue a statement in which they declared that they would respect Turkey’s territorial integrity. Next, in the spring of 1942, when the British-Soviet alliance was subject to negotiation, Moscow and London confirmed their previous commitments. It must be, however, observed that the British diplomacy did not manage to avoid a few mistakes that may have strengthened the suspicions of the Turkish government. The most important one was not having informed the Turkish of the preparations for the British-Soviet intervention in Iran which was led in late August 1941.

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