https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/5bd6579edf087c3f3433ea348b1b7230.pdf b30ddd775252c3f26f617e07c75fca65 PDF Text Text Document disclosed under the Access to Information, Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi surl’acces a I’information •- e » DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, CANADA. (DUPLICATE) NUMBERED LETTER TO: THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, OTTAWA, CANADA. FROM: ..................................... ....... The Canal ian Embassy ANKARA, Turkey Security: .CQNFIDENTIAL 527... No: October. 13,. 1961 2 ' Enclosures: Date: Reference:.................................... . Air or Surface MailCourien. ... Subject:........ ........................... Post File No:. Turkish Relations with USSR and i Ottawa File No. Bulgaria - NATO Military Exercise 05. 670/580 References Moscow Belgrade Athens CCOS (6) DL (1) European 9 As you know the Soviet Union finally got around to protesting, on September 25, Turkey’s participation in the recent NATO "Checkmate" exercise; (We attach a copy of the Associated Press account of the Tass story on the subject.) Both the USSR and Bulgaria had protested to Greece in fairly stiff terms’ as early as August 30 and September 2. As time passed without any sign of a protest to Turkey, the feeling had grown here that the Soviet Union did not wish to take any step which might strain its relations with Turkey. In fact, despite the recent Soviet protest, we are inclined to believe that the USSR deliberately took a fairly mild line with the Turks. European W.M. Jarvis /lc From the Bulgarian side we are not aware that 2. any formal protest was made to Turkey, although there were some angry outbursts of propaganda from Bulgaria at the height of the Checkmate exercise, when landings of NATO troops took place in Turkish Thrace* (Bulgarian troops were reportedly concentrated on the border "as a temporary precaution".) As for the Soviet protest, it came late, it was merely verbal and, according to a good source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry, it was not nearly as vigorous in fact as the Tass story claimed. It seems clear that Moscow tried not to provoke, on this occasion, a Turkish outburst such as occurred over the exhibition of CENTO documents (see our letter 480 of September 12) . Internal Circulation s Distribution to Posts Mr .Bridle (Geneva) London Washington Nato,Paris 3. The Turkish reaction to the Soviet protest was reasonably mild. General Gursel remarked indulgently to the press on September 27 ”The Russians deliver such notes every once in a while and we give them the necessary reply. Such things are not important.® This declaration apparently set the tone for the press which was clearly restrained in its comments. On Octobers4,29 the Turkish Foreign Ministry replied to the ‘Soviet - protest in a moderate but firm statement (copy of which —■ -we attach) stressing the nature of NATO exercises and pointing out that the Warsaw powers were on the point of carrying out military exercises of their own. Concerning the Straits, the Turks took a noticeably cautious line.. As you know, according to Tass, Firyubin had drawn the attention of the Turkish Ambassador to the fact that some (Ext.182C(Rev.2/52) .2 001121 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource CDEX (NATO Exercises) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDEX00793 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived RG25, 50115-G-40, "North Atlantic Treaty Organization - Military, naval and air exercises," Part 4, Library and Archives Canada. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource Exercises Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Canada Declassified Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource en