Why was Turkey neutral during World War II

Delvestius

Banned
.. and how could they of been persuaded to align one way or another? This is something I never really looked into and would love to have an answer :)
 
.. and how could they of been persuaded to align one way or another? This is something I never really looked into and would love to have an answer :)

Turkey had no interests putting themselves at risk of being invaded by the USSR - had they joined the Axis Powers. There just wasn't much of an interests for the Turks to involve themselves, period.
 
Basically, there was nothing for them to gain and everything to lose by joining either side. Joining Allies in 1941 would result in Istanbul being bombed and possibly overrun by Germans to no appreciable gain for them. Their army was a joke compared to the other contemporary forces and their economy entirely dependent on the UK, so joining Axis would result in economic ruin for Turkey, in addition to Eastern portions being occupied by the Soviets and the rest of the country bombed, to, again, non-appreciable gain. They basically demanded from both sides that any threat from their borders be removed in order to join the war. Allies were the first to meet this condition.
 

Delvestius

Banned
Basically, there was nothing for them to gain and everything to lose by joining either side. Joining Allies in 1941 would result in Istanbul being bombed and possibly overrun by Germans to no appreciable gain for them. Their army was a joke compared to the other contemporary forces and their economy entirely dependent on the UK, so joining Axis would result in economic ruin for Turkey, in addition to Eastern portions being occupied by the Soviets and the rest of the country bombed, to, again, non-appreciable gain. They basically demanded from both sides that any threat from their borders be removed in order to join the war. Allies were the first to meet this condition.

Makes sense, thanks!
 

ccdsah

Donor
.. and how could they of been persuaded to align one way or another? This is something I never really looked into and would love to have an answer :)

Well its army was sub-standard; it declared war on Axis on february 1945 so technically wasn't a neutral... ;)
Turkey was almost trampled by USSR post WW2 as it wanted (and apparently was promised by the Wallies) a military presence/base in Dardanelles; Luckily Truman had the sense to tell them no
 
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