DEFENCE OF DARDANELLES

Chronicle (Levin), 30 September 1946, Page 5

DEFENCE OF DARDANELLES

RUSSIAN NOTE WITH AN INNUENDO Received Sun'dav, 7 p.m. MGSOOW, Sept. 28. The Miuistrv of Foreign Affaiis has issued a statement that if Turkey, after a' refusal to accept' Russia^s proposals for the joint defence of tlie Dardauelles, begau to take rnilitary measures there with iion-Black Sea X-,owers> l'16 security iuterests of the Black Sea powers would be dir-ectly affected. The statement was issued in reply to Turkey 's rejectiou of tlie Russian uote seeking a revision of the Montreux Conventiou. The note went on: " Turkey 's refusal to undertake joint Jy witli tlie So\iet L'nion the defence of the straits, deprives the Black Sea powers of the possibility of guaranteeing adequate security for this area. Tlie Soviet believes the proposal bv no means alfects Turkey 's sovereignty and should confonu to the best iuterests for lier security. It should not be forgotten that tlie Soviet Black Sea coast gives access to the eountry 's most importanl regions. This explains why the Soviet Union deems .it necessary that Turkey and Russia jointly sliould defend the straits." Tlie note reiterated tlie Russian (fenlands that .Turkey adliere to the Potsdam. pian for.a diseussion with Britain. Russia and United States to revise the conventiou and declared that tlie T-urkish reply to tlie original demaud did not refute the charges that she had failed to prevent the Axis using the straits during the war for hostile purposes: ■ Turkey 's suggestion that the nine Montreux powers should reconsider tlie pact, was •unacceptable beeause the po'sifion' of the straits leading into the iandilocked Black Sea, was entirely ' lifferent from international sea rout.es sueh as Gibraltar and Suez. Russia was pleased Turkey had apparently aecept^d the first three Russian proposals, namely, that the straits should always >e- open to all nations' merchant shipning, should always l>e open for the passage of warships of the BJack Sea powers, and that the pasaage of war ihips of non-Black Sea pow-ers must lot be pwmitted except in speeial eases.