IN ASIA MINOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1916, Page 5

IN ASIA MINOR.

FLIGHT OF THE TURKS. BEFORE RUSSIAN ADVANCE. GERMANS SENDING MUNITIONS. Received April 23, 5.5 p.m. London, April 22. The New York World says that a diplomat who was recently at Constantinople states that half a million Turks fled before the Russians' advance, and took refuge in Sivaz and Anzpfa, bringing destitution and disease. Many died from cold and starvation on the road sides, where the Armenians had been driven earlier. The Governor of Angora lias notified Constantinople that he is unable to send further grain, and the news has caused a sensation in the capital, as Angora is the only source of supply since Roumanla it not exporting. The Turkish army is now 400,000, whereof General von der Goltz has a 100,000 on the Bagdad front, where the Russians are threatening communications. 200,000 under General von San'ders are concentrated on the Sivaz-Hab-poot line to counter the Russians' at- 1 tack. The Germans are daily sending vast quantities of artillery and munitions to Sivaz, and are utilising the material that was intended for Egypt.

FALL OF TREBIZOND. TURKS' DESPERATE RESISTANCE Received April 23, 5.5 p.m. Constantinople, April 21. A communique admits the loss of Trebizond. The 'lurks offered an extraordinary resistance and defended every inch of the ground. They made repeated attacks with numerically superior forces and forced the Russians to a battle with bloody results on the 18th, and then withdrew to a sector where the troops have a new task to fulfil. Trebizond was previously evacuated, and six eld fifteen centimetre guns were destroyed. BRITISH- RETREAT IN PANIC! * A TURKISH STORY. Received April 23, 11.5 p.m. Amsterdam,< April 23. A Turkish communique states: In the Tigris battle on the 17tli, two British brigades were ejected from the positions they captured on the Britissa front. The British despatched three brigades to stop the retreat and surprise the attackers on the flank, but they retired, abandoning thirteen machine-guns. On the 19th, despite a British attack, we repulsed them with the bayonet, and they retreated in panic. A Turkish, aeroplane successfully bombed the camp at El liantara, in Egypt, and our cavalry, surprising a cavalry patrol in the vicinity of the Canal, killed seven and pursued the rest, who fled.