World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseModern Turkey was born out of the Ottoman Empire after WW1. In 1939, Turkey signed a Mutual Aid Pact with France and the United Kingdom, but, avoiding to go directly into combat and fearing the Soviet Union (which had just jointly invaded Poland with Germany), Turkey along with the rest of the Balkan Entente (Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Turkey) declared neutrality when France was invaded in 1940. In Jun 1941, as the German forces entered the Balkan Peninsula, Turkey and Germany signed a non-aggression pact; this pact gave Turkey the security it sought, while giving Germany the comfort of a safe flank as it planned to turn against the Soviet Union. Despite Turkish neutrality, the country did suffer some casualties during the war. On 3 Nov 1941, for example, Turkish schooner Kaynakdere was sunk by Soviet submarine ShCh-214 in the Black Sea as the Turkish schooner ventured near ground sheld by German troops (the Soviet submarine captain suspected that the schooner was smuggling in supplies for the Germans); Soviet submarines would sink several more Turkish vessels during the war. Turkey would suffer losses at the hands of the Axis as well, such as the loss of merchant ship Antares to Italian submarine Alagi in Jul 1942. Meanwhile, the Western Allies actively courted Turkey. In Dec 1941, days prior to the Pearl Harbor attack that brought the United States into the war, Franklin Roosevelt announced that Turkey was eligible to receive Lend-Lease aid. As the tide turned against Germany, Turkey leaned more and more toward the Allied side. Turkey halted the export of chromite, a key ingredient in the manufacture of stainless steel, to Germany in Apr 1944. On 2 Aug 1944, Turkey severed diplomatic relations with Germany. In Feb 1945, Turkey allowed itself to be courted by the Allies by attending the inaugural meeting of the United Nations, leading to a declaration of war on Germany on 23 Feb 1945. Turkish troops were not sent into combat, however.

Weather

WW2-Era Weather Data for Turkey

Photographs

Turkey in World War II Interactive Map

Visitor Submitted Comments

Show older comments

2.  Alan John Chanter says:
13 May 2021 12:57:13 AM

The 1939 Mutual Aid Pact mentioned in this article was concluded at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara on the 19th October 1939. The treaty, in which the British and French Governments pledged ‘to lend all aid and assistance; to Turkey in the event of any hostilities with a European power, in consequence of aggression by that power against Turkey’. The treaty, which was to remain in force for fifteen years, was signed by the British and French Ambassadors (Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen and M. Rene Massigli) with the Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic, Dr. Reyfik Saydam (1881-1942).