TURKEY’S REVOLT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8339, 27 January 1913, Page 6

TURKEY’S REVOLT

It is almost necessary to qualify any views concerning Turkey by saying that none can toll what a day may bring forth. For the moment, the position is that a revolutionary movement has followed quickly on the heels of the Porte’s acceptance of the Powers’ demands. No sooner had the cession of Adrianople been reluctantly agreed to than the Ministry was deposed at the instance of tho Young Turks, whoso insistence upon that deposition was backed by the cogent persuasion of firearms. There was bloodshed at headquarters, among the victims being Nazim Pasha, tho Minister of War and generalissimo in tho recent stirring fighting. The revolt led by Enver Bay completely succeeded, and he has formed a fresh Cabinet which proposes to continue tho war with tho Balkan League. Tho situation has therefore completely changed. It is tho exact opposite to what existed last week, acquiescence by official Turkey in the terms of the Powers’ recent Note having given way to defiance. We would bo wrong in accepting agitation on the part of the heterogeneous population of Constantinople as necessarily reflecting the spirit of the Turkish people as a whole, but tho fact cannot bo disregarded that the Young Turk movement has a great deal of popular feeling behind it. The point in which the rest of the world has chief concern is that the promises of yesterday no longer hold good. The new official Turkey refuses to yield up Adrianople, professes to disregard Russia’s very distinct threats of active operations to enforce Bulgaria’s claim to that prize, and declares readiness to go on with the fight. On the other hand tho tone of despatches from Austria and elsewhere is that the latest tragic events at Constantinople nave not in any way shaken the_ attitude of the Great Powers concerning Adrianoplo. Thus there has got to bo some very substantial backing down on one side or the other if the calamity of European complication is to be avoided. Possibly, however, tho new Turkish Ministry may find some sobering influence in the difficulties of financing a renewed campaign.