TURKEY VERSUS FRANCE

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 328, 8 January 1937, Page 5

TURKEY VERSUS FRANCE

MORE COMPLICATIONS FORCES MOBILISING. Eastern Nation Threatens To Withdraw From League. Press Association—Copyright. Received Noon. Paris, Jan. 7. Turkey; show, considerable resentment at France’s uncompromising attitude towards her dei mand that the provinces of .Antioch And Alexandretta shall be independent and administered apart from the remainder of the French mandate over Syria. TheTurkish .attitude is that if war supervenes France will be responsible. France fears that the Turks want the provinces as a first step to the reconquest of ■Syria in which Italy and Ger* many are probably encouraging them.

It is now reported that Turkey is mobilising forces near her southern frontier. Official circles intimate that France will not tolerate Turkish action against Alexandretta or Antioch. Madame Tabouls, writing in L'Oeuvre declares that Turkey wishes to avoid, at all costs, the Italian occupation of Alexandretta and has decided to push, the matter to extremes at a time ,when neither England nor France desires to be involved in the Eastern Mediterranean.

A message from Istanbul states that Turkey is demanding an immediate decision by the League and /will make no reference of the matter to the Hague Court. It is declared that Turkey will withdraw from the League if the decision is not favourable to her. From Paris it Is stated that France has 30,000 white colonial troops in Syria and the Commander has been instructed to “resist any illegal movement.”