Why Allies Stopped Supplies to Turkey

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 52, 4 March 1944, Page 5

Why Allies Stopped Supplies to Turkey

Received Friday, 7.35 p.m. LONDON, March 2. Turkey has received large quantities of materials in the past for which reason she is now well able to defend herself against any force Germany can possibly throw against her, stated the Times’ diplomatic correspondent referring to the cessation of British arms shipments to Turkey. The Turkish Government and people have shown no signs of entering the war on their own initiative. Neither President Inonu’s conference with President Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill in Cairo last December nor the military talks in Ankara in January shook their desire to avoid what they call adventures. They were prepared to consider active cooperation only if the Allies supplied them with arms in quantities which seemed to us excessive and beyond Turkey’s capacity to absorb. Therefore the military talks w'ere suspended. The Allies when the tide turned against Germany i olio wing El Alamein and Stalingrad sought a way to Germany by every possible channel. Turkey’s policy of inaction closed one such channel. A country which pursues a purely defensive policy cannot expect arms beyond defensive requirements. The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent says that lor policy reasons Britain and America did not announce the cessation of shipments following the breakdown in the Ankara talks, but let the Turks discover the decision for themselves. The British authorities recalled to Alexandria two or three Turkish ships laden with war material which were proceeding to Turkey when the supplies were stopped and the ships are being detained pending instructions. The Telegraph adds: “Now that the Turks have shown themselves anxious to keep out of the war they automatically lose their priority claim.”