MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1916, Page 5

MESOPOTAMIA.

ARMENIA AND PERSIA. . ' SUMMARY OF POSITION TURKS OUTFLANKED RUSSIAN RETREAT IN PERSIA. Received Oct. 15, 8.30 p.m. London, Oct. 14. Mr. Philips Price, the Manchester Guardian's correspondent at Tiflis, thus sums up the position ii. Armenia and Pwrsia: The Turkish. evacuation of Erzingan proved the preliminary to a big counter-offensive extending from the southern Armenian plateau to eastern Perria. The Turkish plan was to draw the Russians into the western Euphrates valley, and then tc tflirow the whole Third Army into the lake depression, while the left wing of the Sixth Army advanced and occupied Teheran. Al)di Pasha, commanding -the Third Anny, hoped to push north from the Bash plain and cut off the Russians between Erzerum and Kais. They commenced the offensive by sending 110,000 troops, under Esset 'Pas-ha, in three columns, which had arranged to converge near Kliumus, south of Erzerum. General Yudenitch. hott'svc, managed to outflank Isset Pasha,, who evacuated the Mush plain. A large Tuikish force is now in tlifl'' uppei Euphrates valley, connected to the base by bad roads. Isset's power of offensive has been greatly reduced owing to the diffictilty of getting supplies from Khnrput. The situation in Persia is less satisfactory. Hali Pasha invaded Persia with 2-0,000 regulars (cavalry and infantry) and 12,000 irregulars (Kurds), with Gorman batteries and aeroplanes. The Russians, being outnumbered, have retired, and the Turks now hold Ramadan, but make no attempt to advance on Teheran, fearing a Russian counteroffensive, which threatened Halil's retreat on Bagdad. ON THE EUPHRATES. London, Oct. 14. A Mesopotamia communique statis: The situation on the Euphrates is unchanged. Aeroplanes successfully bombed an enemy camp south-east of Dugailah Redoubt.