TURKISH TROUBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1922, Page 6

TURKISH TROUBLE.

RUSSIA AND ANGORA. Under the heading, “Tbe Red Grip or( Angora,” a correspondent in the Lon( don Times wrote last month:—Angora has succeeded in defeating Greece first and chiefly through the moral and material support qf Bolshevik Russia. Two years ago the first treaty between Moscow and Angora was signed pro«i viding fox unrestricted co-operation oi Turkish territory. Bolshevik Russia, the most deadly, and implacable enemy that England has ever known, placed all her resources at the disposal of Turkey, not because she wished to restore to Turkey her national existence, but in order to succeed where the Tsars liad failed and to dominate the Straits and the Eastern Mediterranean. No less than 80,000,000 in gold (£8,000,000) have been sent by starving Russia to the- Turks. The guns, rifles, ammunition, transport captured by the Bolsheviks from Denikin and Wrangel have for the most part gone to Mustapha ■Kemal. The Turkish troops surrounding Chanak to-day are to a great extent armed with British rifles, originally sent by us to the Crimea to fight| the Bolsheviks.

In the treaty between Angora and Moscow of January o of this year, the text of which was phblished in all tho Turkish and Russian papers, the sth. article bound the two Powers to decide, only after mutual -agreement, their policy as regards the Straits. Moscow thus has the power to prevent Mustapha Kemal by this treaty from accepting terms it does not approve. The object of Moscow is perfectly clear and has again and again been emphasised in the speeches of the Bolshevik leaders and in the Moscow press. They would involve Great Britain in war with Turkey, and would themselves seize a foothold in the Balkans. Moscow is certain that a world war must follow in which Germany will join with Russia and Turkey. Mustapha Kemal himself is no doubt anxious to place Turkish policy before Russian, and that most certainly means an understanding with Great Britain Reports from Angora which have come through since the final Turkish victory show that the Bolshevik influence is a«J strong as ever, and the cry of “Back to the Balkans” threatens to drown all others.