TURKISH POLICY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 228, 23 June 1941, Page 7

TURKISH POLICY

Varied Comment On Pact With Nazis (Received June 22, 7 p.m.i LONDON, June 21. The Turkish Government lias prolonged the state of siege in Istanbul and the zones bordering Russia, Bulgaria, Syria and Iraq for a further six months. In Istanbul the police are making lists of the air-raid shelters. The Rome correspondent of Swedish newspapers yesterday linked the Turkish-German pact with the Russian-German crisis, saying that Rome does not regard the Turkish pact as a complete success, but as a clever compromise which may produce decisive results later and prevent British intervention from the south if RussianGerman relations grow worse. The Ankara correspondent of the British United Press said it was authoritatively stated that the Turkish Foreign Minister, M. Saracoglu. assured the British Ambassador, Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen, that Turkey would never permit the passage of German troops or war materials across her territory. It is understood M. Saracoglu said he would give the British Embassy written assurances to that effect. Negotiations With Italy? LONDON, June 20. At the time that Ankara radio, for the first time, failed to broadcast the

British war communiques, M. Sara coglu said that the preamble of the Turkish-German treaty was designed to safeguard the Anglo-Turkish alliance. The Ankara correspondent of the Associated Press of America says the newspapers greeted the treaty exuberantly, but the Government banned the pro-Axis “Tasviri Fekar” for a month because of an anti-British editorial. The Rome correspondent of the Vichy news agency says that Italy and Turkey are negotiating an important economic agreement which it is expected will be signed next week. The “Popoio d'ltalia" declared that Italy desires to resume relations with Turkey in a spirit of comprehension and collaboration.