Cairo Conferences (SEXTANT)

Quadripartite dinner meeting, 8:30 p.m.

Present
United States United Kingdom
President Roosevelt Prime Minister Churchill
Mr. Hopkins Foreign Secretary Eden
Admiral Leahy Sir Alexander Cadogan
Mr. Steinhardt Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen
Commander Thompson
Captain Churchill
Turkey Soviet Union
President Inönü Mr. Vinogradov
Foreign Minister Menemencioğlu Mr. Mikhailov
Mr. Anderiman

According to Leahy:

The next night, December 5, it was Churchill’s turn to entertain at dinner for Inönü. Same scene. Same cast. Almost the same lines except that the Turkish President talked a little more freely and impressed me with his direct approach to the question. He made it clear that before Turkey could come into the war, he would have to have enough planes, tanks, guns, etc., to make a strong resistance against invasion by the Nazis.

It was most interesting to watch the dinner-table maneuvers of the Prime Minister as he pleaded, cajoled, and almost threatened the soldier President of the once powerful Ottoman Empire in an effort to commit him to taking his people into the war. Inönü was told he would have to come in eventually if he was to have a place at the peace table. The Americans did not urge the Turks as vehemently as did the British.