mancontractswereinthreatofbeingterminated.²⁴²Bothofficersplayedanin-
fluentialroleinTurkishpolitics.İsmetİnönüinvitedbothmenforconsultations
onsensitivepoliticalmattersseveraltimes.WülfingvonDittencontributedtothe
debateabouttherearmamentofthestraitsin 1935 .²⁴³Mittelbergerevenprepared
aplanfortheTurkishinvasionofNorthernSyriain 1937 ,onFrenchmandateter-
ritory:
“İsmetİnönücametoIstanbulandaskedme,inasecretmeeting,toprepareanoperational
proposalforastrategicattackontheSyrianborderareaswithanemphasisontheimpor-
tantrailwayknotAleppo.Healsowantedtohearmyopinionabouttheprospectsofsuc-
cessofsuchanoperation.WhenIhandedtherequestedoperationalproposalovertohim,I
sharedmyconvictionthatthestrategicraidwouldsucceed,sincetheFrenchonlyhadlim-
itedweakforcesforthedefenseoftheSyrianterritoryathand(aroundthreeregiments).
However,IunderlinedthatIcouldnotmakeproposalsforfurtherdevelopmentsand
thatIcouldnottaketheresponsibilitysinceitcouldnotbeassumedthattheFrench
wouldnotreactonsuchanactofaggressionwithabigdisplayofpower.Therefore,the
questionaroseifTurkeywantedandcouldriskwarwithFrance.İsmetİnönüagreed
withmeandexpressedthehopetopersuadethestatepresidentofthedangerofsuch
anadventure.”²⁴⁴MittelbergersexpertisemighthavehelpedtoshieldtheRepublicofTurkeyfrom
theeffectsofanotherdevastatingwar.Finally,theargumentwiththeFrenchgov-
ernmentwassettledbytheFrenchyieldingtotheTurkishannexationofthere-
spectiveHatayprovinceinthefollowingyear.
SeveralBritishairforceinstructorswerehiredbytheTurkishGeneralStaffin
19 38.Theairforceofficertrainingsectioninthemilitaryacademyhadbeenes-
tablishedbyrequestofMittelberger.However,theGermanAviationMinistryre-
fusedtodeployGermanexpertstoTurkey.²⁴⁵TheheadoftheRoyalAirforcemis-
sionfeltthatheandhismenwerenotwelcome:
“Wemetthese[German]officerseverydayatYildiz,butseldomonourfewsocialocca-
sions.Althoughallofthemwerecorrectintheirattitudetous,onlyacoupleorsomade
anyattempttobefriendly.TheywereopenlydisgruntledthattheTurkshadchosentheBrit-BlombergtoForeignMinistryforMittelbergerandWülfing, 23 March19 35 .R7 8562 :E 692368 -
E6 9237 3.
KellertotheForeignMinistry,6December 1935 .ADAPSeriesCvol. 4 – 2, 1975 ,8 73 – 87 4.On
asimilarmeetingwiththeGermansubmarineexpertsin 1936 cf.Tekeliandİlkin,İkinciDünya
SavaşıTürkiyesi,96.
Mittelberger,“DeraußenpolitischeWegderneuenTürkei,”BayHStAIVHS 2710 ,4–5.
Mittelberger,“WandererinvierWelten,”vol.3, 13.
216 4German-TurkishMilitaryCooperationafter 1918