TURKEY'S AMBITIONS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 224, 10 June 1918, Page 5

TURKEY'S AMBITIONS

CAUSING ANXIETY-AND ANTAGONISM

SHARP CRITICISM OF A GERMAN PAPER

(Rec. Juno 9, ,5.5 p.m.)

„,, „ T Amsterdam, Juno 7. -the , .Ivronz Zeitung" attacks Turkey for her ambitions on tho Black Sea coast and in tin. Caucasus. It says :-"Tho union of the Crimea and Turkey is quite impossible, becauso it would iiijuro the Ukraine's vital interests. Tho province of Taurida belongs nationally and geographically to the Ukraine,'which also 'ila-ims Sebastopol. Turkey's idea seems to bo to gain a dominating position in. tho. Black Sea,..making a pan-Turkish idea paramount there; also to make tho Caucasus a strong rampart between Turkey and.Russia.. .Henco German policy is confronted with difficult tasks. A certain antagonism Ijetween Trans-Cau-casia and Turkey already exists, and antagonism between Turkey and tlio Ukraine is arising, while Turkey's ideas as to her relations with Persia are not in the least' recognised by tho latter. When Germany entered tlio war she guaranteed Turkey's present frontiers, and will continue to fight for them, but Germany is thus entitled to oppose Turkisii_ desires in the. novlli-eust and east, which go far beyond any possibilities contemplated at the •beginning, of tho w;it."

j.'lio paper concludes by arguing that the war must not leave any antagonism between Germany aud Russia, the supreme war aim being to make the formation of a fresh coalition ugainst Germany impossible—Renter.