Halifax had immediately asked Aras whether he had received any instructions from Ankara in connection with Italy’s entry into the war. Aras said he had not. Halifax then expressed his point of view and made it perfectly clear to Aras that he expected Turkey to declare war on Italy immediately.

Aras replied that he had nothing to say on behalf of the T[urkish] G[overnment] for the moment, but he could share his personal thoughts if Halifax so wished. He then expounded the following view: Turkey will certainly remain loyal to its obligations under the pact, but the factor of expediency must be taken into account when fulfilling these obligations. What does that mean? It means that before taking any decisions on concrete steps, Turkey must consider three points: (1) the importance of safeguarding peace in the Balkans; (2) her friendship with the USSR; and (3) the need to maintain normal relations with Germany. The current direction of Turkish policy will be defined in the light of these considerations.

I asked Aras how Halifax reacted to this. Aras said that he was in complete agreement. Was he really?

Aras then asked Halifax whether arrangements might be put in place for Turkey to spend some of its British credits on the purchase of goods in the USA and the USSR? Halifax promised to clarify this matter in Cabinet.

Then Aras started asking quite insistently whether or not I approved of his reply to Halifax. It was important for him to know this in order to write his report to Ankara.

I replied that his request placed me in a rather awkward position: how could I approve or disapprove of a statement made by the ambassador of another state? All I could do was remind him of the essence of our current policy: to observe neutrality and counteract by all available means the spread of hostilities to new countries and territories, especially neighbouring countries. Aras could draw his own conclusions.

Aras hastened to assure me that he was fully satisfied with my answer and repeated once again that the safety of the Balkans and the Near East depends entirely on close cooperation with the Soviet Union.

So it seems that for the moment Turkey will stay out of the war.