January 1, 1934.

Section 1.

SOUTHERN (BALKAN STATES).

CONFIDENTIAL.

[C 10746/1060/62]

The Balkans and Turkey, 1932– 33.

THE Balkans have in the past two years been the scene of an unwonted amount of political activity of a pacific, or ostensibly pacific, character; and it will be found on examination that the initial impulse in these activities has come not from any of the Balkan States themselves nor from the Great Powers, but from Turkey. It had for some time been evident that Turkey had abandoned all ambitions for territorial increase in favour of a policy of general pacification in South-East Europe by means of which she would be left in peaceful possession of her dominions. The progress of the movement thus set on foot is the subject of the present memorandum.

• 2. In pursuance of her policy. Turkey had, during the years 1929 to 1932, placed her relations with all her neighbours on a friendly footing. She had signed treaties of non-aggression and arbitration with Bulgaria (1929), Greece (1930) and Italy (1930), and in 1932 she joined the League of Nations. In each case, the most significant factor was her readiness to reaffirm her acceptance of existing frontiers as the basis of permanent pacification. Although at one period it seemed as if she might be drawn by Italy together with Greece and Bulgaria into a pro Italian anti Little Ententebloc, she managed in the end to maintain her freedom of action in the field of foreign affairs.

• 3. In the meanwhile, in October 1931, the Turkish Prime Minister, by an official visit to Athens and Bucharest, started an exchange of State visits between the Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of Turkey and the Balkan States which has continued at frequent intervals up to the present time. During the present year this exchange of visits has been extended to the Sovereigns of those Balkan States where monarchies still prevail (Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Roumania). The Kings of Bulgaria and Roumania met in October of this year, and in the course of the last three months there have been three meetings between the Kings of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria culminating in the visit of the latter monarch to Belgrade in December.