‘To accustom Turkish minds to a state of belligerency’: The Delicate Balance of British Propaganda in Turkey during the Second World War

Abstract

ABSTRACT Neutral Turkey was a ripe propaganda battleground for the belligerent powers in the Second World War. For Britain, there were risks involved in undertaking too much and too little propaganda activity. This provoked debate and tension between the British organizations regarding objectives and what activity would be most effective. The Foreign Office, the Ministry of Information, the Special Operations Executive, the British Council and the BBC all had different ideas. The changing military situation and practical difficulties also made the co-ordination of messaging and dissemination challenging. This article will explore how all of these British organizations worked together, what methods and messages they deployed, analyse examples of their propaganda, and briefly assess how successful they were in achieving their aims.