TURKEY DECIDES TO BREAK WITH GERMANY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 182, 3 August 1944, Page 5

TURKEY DECIDES TO BREAK WITH GERMANY

AT ALLIED REQUEST No Entry Into Hostilities At Present N.Z.P.A. and British Wireless Rec. 10 a.m. LONDON, Aug. 2. Turkey has broken off diplomatic and economic relations with Germany. This was announced at thjs morning's meeting of the Grand National Assembly. The Prime Minister, M. Saracoglu, said this did not mean that Turkey would enter the war. That was dependent on the attitude Germany took. M. Saracoglu, in a speech to the Grand National Assembly, said that Britain and America had requested Turkey to break off diplomatic anti economic relations with Germany. The Government, after closely studying the question, approved the request and asked for economic and financial help, and also equipment to meet difficulties which would arise from this decision. After Britain's positive answer to this request, M. Saracoglu added, he informed the British Ambassador that the Government would pass on to the National Assembly its decision to break off relations with Germany as from Wednesday night. This announcement was received with great satisfaction in London. The Turkish radio said that, after M. Saracoglu's speech, the Assembly of 413 members unanimously voted in favour of the break. •', \ An Istanbul message says that the Turkish Government has ordered all Turkish ships in Bulgarian and Rumanian ports to return to Turkish waters without delay. Turkish vessels due to sail for Bulgaria yesterday remained at anchor in the Bosphorus. . ...... . British Initiative Responsible In the course of his House of Commons war review, Mr. Churchill said that he had the authority of the Turkish Prime Minister to announce that, on the basis of British and Turkish alliance, Turkey had broken all relations with Germany. Negotiations with Turkey, which led to this event were,' it Is. learned, taken on British initiative, the United States and Russia being kept fully informed throughout. . The Turkish decision is a resounding diplomatic blow to the Axis and its political effects is expected to be substantial. The effects on the economic side are also important. Turkey, a few months ago, stopped exporting, to Germany her most important war. . product — chrome. It is understood that the Turkish Government is fully satisfied on the subject of the economic, financial and military assistance they will require in consequence of their decision. It is worth pointing out that the question of Turkey's declaring war does not-arise, JEWISH CHILDREN Scheme For Evacuation From Hungary NEUTRAI/ COUNTRIES' AID British Official Wireless Rec. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 2. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare, Mr. Dingle Foot, replying in the House of Commpns to a question, said that the Government had been informed by the International Red Cross of an offer by Admiral Horthy, Regent of Hungary, to permit Jewish children to leave Hungary in cases where neutral' countries were willing to receive them. On a number of occasions, he added, particularly in the past year, assurances have been given to neutral Governments that if schemes of this kind could be arranged both Britain and the United States would sanction important additional supplies through the blockade, over and above the normal blockade quotas, which such countries were 'permitted to receive through Allied control. Since receiving Admiral Horthy's communication through the International Red Cross, Britain had informed those Governments that her offer of increased:'supplies held good in this particular case. He understood that a similar assurance had been or was being given. by the United States. The Minister said that certain neutral Governments, notably Switzerland and Sweden, had always shown considerable willingness to receive refugees from Axis Europe. "It is not the fault of the neutral Governments concerned that evacuation schemes have not operated long before this," he said. "In every case it had been the reluctance of the occupying authorities ■ or the Axis Governments concerned to let- the children go." . r , ' -■■ GREEK CHILDREN SUFFER British Official :Wireless "' Rec. 11a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 2. "The position of the Greek people is by now tragic," said the Greek Minister of Information, M. Cartalis, speaking in London. M. Cartalis, who left Greece -in May, said that of 25,000 school children, recently examined, three-quarters were consumptive. The total calorie 1 Intake in food available- was only 935, compared with an. average of 2450 before the wan. ..