NEW TURKEY IS VALUABLE ALLY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1940, Page 9

NEW TURKEY IS VALUABLE ALLY

CAUSE FOR COMFORT

Control Of Dardanelles Is Great Gain. ARABS IMPRESSED. Jiritish Official Wireless. (Received 10 a.m.) RUGBY, March 22. The British alliance with Turkey, says tho ''Manchester Guardian" in a leading article, represents one difference between the first six months of this war and 1914, which can give us most comfort.

"Turkey's enmity," it says, "added grcatlv to our difficulties and to the length'of the last war, but the struggle ended with mutual respect. Xow, in place of a redoubtable opponent, we have Turkey as an ally, and not the Turkey of the Sultans, but an efficient, renascent State, founded by Mustafa Kcmal."

After describing German and Soviet overtures to Turkey which failed to prevent a formal alliance with the Western Powers, the article continues: "Turkey has been taking her engagements to us extremely seriously. Of the credits we have given her, £2.1,000,000 is being spent on armaments. The massive edifice tho Allies have built up in the Near Kast has Turkey for its cornerstone. No wonder Turkey's alliance with us impressed ths Arabs. It is bound to have a strong influence on Iraq. Iran and Afghanistan, 'the importance of Turkey is far greater than her size.

"The back door info Europe, the newly fortified Dardanelles, is in Turkey's power to open or close. In our struggle with Germany litis is a great gain. As this war 'goes on, Balkan supplies will become increasingly necessary to Germany, but her power' to have her own way in this vital area will be strictlv limited while Turkcv stands slaunchlv bv the Allies."