1. Soviet demands on Turkey from Yalta to Potsdam The Straits issue appeared on the agenda of big three powers’ wartime conference at Yalta, on 10 February 1945 Stalin demanded the revision of Montreux Convention, claiming that its provisions were outdated because: * Japan was a signatory benefited more than the Soviet Union, * It was bound to the League of Nations, * When it was signed, the Soviet Union was in a weak position. Stalin remarked that in this situation “Turkey had a hand on Russia’s throat”. The issue left to be negotiated later multilaterally, assuring Turkey’s independence.

2. On 19 March 1945, the Soviet Union announced that it would not renew the Treaty of Friendship and Non- aggression of 1925, that it should be revised in accord to new post-war situation. Turkish foreign minister Hasan Saka agreed on revising the treaty. On 7 June 1945, Soviet foreign minister Molotov and Turkish ambassador to Moscow Selim Sarper met in Moscow in order to revise the treaty.

3. As the price of renewing the treaty, Molotov demanded: * Military bases in the Straits to defense them collectively with Turkey, * A revision of Montreux Convention so that Soviet warships could have free passage in all times and closure of Straits to non- Black Sea states, * The return of Kars and Ardahan to the Soviet Union. Sarper responded that bases in the Straits and the return of Kars-Ardahan were inacceptable; if a change should be made in Montreux Convention, it should be made multilaterally.

4. Turkey sought for the support of Britain and the United States against the Soviet threat. Soviet control in the lands of Turkey would harm British interests in the Middle East. Therefore Britian gave immediate diplomatic support to Turkey. On 18 June 1945, British government wanted to define an Anglo-American common policy on the issue, before Potsdam conference. The US, however, was reluctant in its support at this stage. On 7 July 1945, the US said that they see Soviet-Turkish negotiations on the issue as friendly. Therefore they declined British proposal for a common policy. The issue was left to be discussed at Potsdam Conference in late July.