TURKEY AND SOVIET

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 94, 17 October 1940, Page 11

TURKEY AND SOVIET

FUTURE RELATIONS

BULGARIAN POLICY

CBy Telejjraph—Press Association— Copyright.) (Received October 17, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, October 16. The Sofia correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain, says that Mr. G. W. Rendel, British Minster to Bulgaria, has gone to Istanbul to confer with the British Ambassador, Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugesson. The conference is considered to be closely* identified with the future of relations between Turkey and the Soviet, in which Turkey would still carry a British guarantee. . King Boris, of Bulgaria, yesterday had an audience with Mr. Rendel, who twice conferred with Professor Filoff, Bulgarian Premier. Evidence is accumulating that the Bulgarians are impressed by the Soviet manoeuvres and are trying to maintain a policy; of peaceful neutrality against reported Axis pressure. The Rome correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says that M. Bagrianoff, the Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture, arrived from Germany and had a friendly conversation with Count Ciano, Italian Foreign Minister. M. Bagrianoff is considered to be one of Bulgaria's leading sympathisers with the Axis Powers. The "Osservatore Romano" declared that Parliamentary circles in Sofia are discussing an imminent Cabinet crisis which is expected to occur when M. Bagrianoff returns.

A message from Istanbul says that Cabinet is believed to have discussed Turkey's relation to the Rumanian situation.

Three hundred refugees, including British, who said they had been through hell at the hands of the Iron Guard, arrived at Istanbul from Constanta. A shipload of Turks is expected today, and the remainder of the British colony tomorrow.

Authorised persons in Berlin flatly insisted that Russia received intimation of the dispatch of German troops to Eumania.

Kussian and Rumanian officials firmly denied that Soviet troops had occupied the Danube delta, and admitted that a thrust across the Danube would mean an outbreak of hostilities. Recent troop movements on the Bessarabian frontier were probably due to endeavours to complete the defences of the frontier before the heavy snows.

Bucharest reports that 65 passenger trains, many of which are running on main lines, have been suspended until the end of the month. It is officially stated that this -will make way for goods traffic which has been long delayed as a result of military requisitioning.