WAR IN ANATOLIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1921, Page 5

WAR IN ANATOLIA.

ADVANCE OF THE GREEKS. OVERCOMING THE TURKS. FOUR DAYS’ BATTLE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Athens, July 19. The evacuation of Eski-shehr has begun. King Constantine has left Smyrna for the front. The Greeks have captured four big guns and eleven machineguns north-west of Kutaiah. The Turks are now retreating along the whole front with the Greeks m pursuit. Received July 21, 8.10 p.m. Athens, July 20. A semi-official account of the operations in Asia Minor states that the Turkish positions were overwhelmed by a series of turning movements. Thus Kutaiah, which was defended by 160 guns, was abandoned, owing to a concentric advance of four columns, ending in a four days’ battle. It is estimated thirty thousand Turks were taken prisoner. It is hoped the advance now proceeding will cut the Turkish communications between Kutaiah, Eski-shehr, and Angora, and enable the success at Kutaiah to be repeated. —Reuter Service. The new Greek movement is in a north-easterly direction, and is apparently aimed at the ConstantinopleAngora railway. Eski-shehr is at the junction of the branch line to Angora and the main Constantinople-Bagdad railway. Kutaiah is about 50 miles to the south-west of Eski-shehr. ITALIAN FLEET AT CONSTANTINOPLE. Rome. July 20. The dreadnought Duilo has gone to Constantinople to reinforce the Italian squadron and other warships are following