ATTEMPTED TURKISH COUP IN ASIA MINOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2903, 16 October 1916, Page 5

ATTEMPTED TURKISH COUP IN ASIA MINOR

FAILURE OF AN AMBITIOUS SCHEME ' . \ . Australian-New Zealand Cable Assooiaiion.' (Reo. October 14, 8.30 p.m.) London, October I^. Hr. Philips Price, the "Manchester Guardian's" correspondent at Tiflis, 6ums up the position in Armenia and Persia: "The Turkish 'evacuation of. Eizingan proved to be the preliminary to a big counter-offensive extending south from the Armenian plateau ro Eastern Persia. . The Turkish plan was to draw the Russians deeply into the Western Euphrates' "Valley arid then throw the whole of their third army into the lake depression, while the leftwing of the Turkish sixth army advanced and occupied Teheran. . AbSi Pasha, commanding the third army, hoped to push'' north ""from" the.; Mush Plain and cut off the Russians between Erzerum and Kar6. He commenced his offensive by sending 110,000 troops, under Izzet Pasha, in three columns, which had arranged to convorgo near Khunus, south of Erzerum. General Yudenitch (commanding the Russians),>' however, managed to outflank Xzzet . Pasha, who evacuated the Mush Plain ' with a large Turkish force, and is now in the Upper Euphrates Valley, con- ? nected to his base by bad roads. Izzet's power for an offensive has been greatly reduced, owing to the difficulty of gotting supplies from Kharput. "The situation in Persia is less satisfactory. Halil Pasha invaded Persia with 26,000 regular cavalry and infantry, and 12,000 irregular Kurds, German batteries, and aeroplanes. The Russians, outnumbered, retired, and the Turks now hold Hamadan, hut they will not attempt to advance on Teheran, , fearing, a Russian counter-offensive which "would threaten Haul's retreat te Bagdad." \