The Dominion. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1917. CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE TURKS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3051, 12 April 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1917. CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE TURKS

The messages_ from Petrograd relating to Russia's views regarding Constantinople are hardly likely' to be sheer inventions. Probably M. Kerensky, Minister for Justice, does hold the view that Russia should not insist on securing possession of Constantinople, but it is more likely-, as stated by a later message, thatthe Provisional Government has not endorsed his views. It is quite possible that if Russia and the Allies were to give Turkey an assurance ■that Constantinople would bo allowed to continue under Turkish rule it would not be a difficult matter to induce Turkey to desert, her allies and drop out of the war. Whether such a propositi6n is practicable, in viow ot the undertakings and understandings already ontered into by Britain and her allies, is quite another matter. The problem of dealing with Turkey will prove a difficult one even when the Turks and their allies are defeated in the present struggle. So far as Turkey in Europe is concerned it should be capable of an easy, and therefore of a prompt solution; but with respect to the immense territories lying south and east of the Dardanelles, the situation is clearly one of extreme difficulty. To many the numerous current phrases touching the expulsion of the Turk, and tho driving of him out of Europe* "bag iand baggage," have become so familiar that they run the risk of being somewhat misunderstood. The condemnation of every Christian country has fallen upon the Turkish race —"the unspeakable Turk"—it is true; but in nearly every instance, when tho Turk is being denounced, it is not against the people, but the rulers, of Turkey that tho indignation has been chiefly aroused. The Turk as a peasant or as a trader may be passable, but the Turk as an official and a ruler is "hopeless. His methods of government to-day arc very much what they were in medieval times, and are wholly anachronistic in an enlightened age. The Turks aohicved ascendancy, first by disloyalty, by the perfidious betrayal of their master, the Caliph oi? Bagdad—whose bodyguard they were; and their dominance they have ever since maintained by force of arms, and ithroueh thaio insolent iisurnation of

the Caliphate. Since their establishment, in Oonslantinoplc the ruling sea, consisting of a medley of Ministers and officials, bearing titles incomprehensible to Western people beys, effendis, and many . more—with the Sultan at their head, has been with very few, exceptions base, faithless, and Corrupt. Deprived of their [lower to wage wars of extermination against neighbouring- States, they have wantonly indulged in cowardly crusades against their own subject races, perpetrating ■ atrocities equalled only by those recently committed by the Germans. The. Turkish Empire may before long takjae its place, the last, in the long Ijst of Eastern Empires which have, ceased to exist; some of them, doubtless, forgotten; .others but Shadowy names which have been rescuod from oblivion by the labours of early historians, or the researches of modern archaeologists. ' But the question arises,'what of the Turkish people 2 If the Turkish Government were abolished in Constantinople, and tho ruling classes banished, in the first place from tho , capital, .there would probably be an exodus on a considerable scale of Turks from Macedonia and the Balkans generally. But it is unlikely that every Turk in Europe would car© to follow the men whom they have so little cause to admire or respect. If the main body of the present Turkish population elected .to remain on the European side of the Bosphorus, it, is most improbable that any subsequent conference of the Allied Powers would order theiti' to fare forth into new lands in the wake of thoir old masters. When Bulgaria obtained its independence there was an extensive migration of Turks from that country into Turkey, the Turks fearing reprisals for .the atrocities to which tho Bulgars had been subjected by' Turkish soldiery. But as Bulgaria hecame settled and peaceful, and the people displayed no desire to avenge their former wrongs, the Turks returned. In Bulgaria, prior to FerdinandJs apostasy, there was a population of about five millions, fully one million of which were Turks and .Mohammedans. Indeed, Turks and Mohammedans are found living side by side in all parts of the Balkans. Me. Foster Fraser in his book Pictures from the Balkans, frequently alludes to the undoubted harmony, if_ not actual friendship, he often witnessed between Christians and Mohammedans within the Balkan States.

. The Sultan of Turkey occupies 'a position the importance of which is entirely out of proportion to the population over which he reigns. "In the whole Turkish Empire there are at the present time probably not more-than eighteen millions of Monammedans, and six millions of Christians. When the time comes, therefore, for the Sultan and his entourage to migrate somewhere, he will be the head of no great nation. The Turks will then doubtless be, and claim the rights of, a small nation. Great Britain and her allies have declared themselves to be the champions of small nationalities, and as such they can scarcely with any degree of consistency ignore the : claims of the Turks to be given some form of-separate and independent continuance. Arabia will probably be set up as a'Mohammedan Empire, its capital Mecca—it maybe Bagdad. Over this new Empire will directly rule the Caliph of Islam, provided possibly from recognised descendants of the Prophet in Persia, or, more probably, in India. Armenia and Kurdistan, in. the north, to all appearance will be placed under the protection of Russia. There are a few Armenians who look forward to the revival of the Kingdom of Armenia: but there centuries of Turkish domination have almost entirely stamped out all ideas of political regeneration and the hopes for a rejuvenated, independent Armenia are not likely to meet,with early realisation. v The idea has been that -Russia will create a new province along the southern shores of the Black Sea, from her Caucasian possessions to the Dardanelles, which province would include Constantinople. To now abandon this idea, if it meant leaving the Turks in possession of Constantinople and in control of tho Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, would not be likely to meet with the approval either of the Entente Powers or the mass of the population of Southern Russia, An agreement seems to have been made between the Entente Powers and the Greek Government, while M.. Venizelos was Prime Minister, that Greece should be'rewarded for her co-operation with the Allies by obtaining tho vilayet of Aidin, in Asia Minor, in.which important district is tho prosperous town and port of Smyrna. , Italy, it would appear, desires to obtain Adalia and the neighbouring territory, whilo France considers that she possesses paramount interests in Syria. Great Britain might claim Palestine, or more probably would be content with tho Suez Canal and the Red Sea for' the protection of Egypt. BuT whatever might be decided on these points it is : extremely unlikely that Russia w.ill be found a consenting party to the Turks continuing to control the exit from the Black Sea. There is only one possible ground on which Russia is likely to adopt the course suggested by M. Kerensky, and that is if by so dqing Turkey could bo induced to abandon her allies and immediately throw open the waterway between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.to the vessels of Russia and' the Entente Powers. This would enable munitions and supplies to be sent to the Russian southern armies the Rumanian forces by the ' speediest possible route, and would also enable -Russia to export her surplus wheat. The immense importance of such a step must be recognised, and it is the only possible reason perceivable which would warrant Russia following the course urged by the Minister for Justice.