KEMALIST POLICY,

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 75, 26 September 1922, Page 7

KEMALIST POLICY,

FBTHY BEY'S MISSION

la tiow of the present lincertainty regarding the KoznaJist policy, it is intcrestinK to rer-all a statement made to "Tha

Times" by Fethy Bey, Minister of the Interior of the Angora Government, when ho was in London last month. He said :—

"I must beg you to regard what I have to ea.y as entirely unofficial, as until I have had an opportunity of laying- my views before official quarters in this country, I naturally feel some hesitation in making statement for publication. I may say, however, that the object of my visit is to smooth away the- obstacles to pence which at prcsait exist between Great Britain and my own coUutry, and' /which, in my opinion, principally originate in London. I have come especially to -make -proposals concerning the 'Darda-' nelles and Thrace, whiu'h I hope will be acceptable tt> England, and would satisfy British interests as regards the Straits. As to Mesopotamia, I have cofne .here in . ah entirely conciliatory frame of min3, and to give assuraiices ori that itlbject ■ to England. -i "I am prepared to discuss in general all questionsof British interests iii tho Near East, both frbrii the political and the economic standpoint. I think in this way we shall get rid of difficulties arid arrive at an agreement. I hope that a new policy of rapprochement and good understanding in the "Near East Tie-; tween the Turks and Great Britain may be brought aboiit. .

"We appreciate the great value of the good will of England towards ils, but -unfortunately at this moment the' greater part of the British pnablie opiriioh is not acquainted with the significance of the struggle we have Been conducting for the J>aSt three years. It is a struggle to obtain, a peaceful life in freedom arid independence. The Treaty of Sevres subjected us to a condition of slavery which the people of Turkey could never accept. It ig true that feet March a great step' was taken, towards the restoration of peace in the Near East. The question bf Adiianople is still the prinoipal difficulty from the Turkish point of view, since that cityhas been left to the Greeks. If,' by a happy combination, this difficulty cbiiM be removed, I atft sure that very sobtl we should be able to re-establish peace in the Near East.

"The Turkish people, and with them the Islamic world, which manifests great sympathy with us, will feel a profound gratitude 'towards the greatest Islamic Power, which is England, tor aiiy efforts Which she would be kind enough to make in this""'.sense. The Turkish people have no hostility towards the English people, though they" have rtn impression that the British are very hostile towards them, aiid this they regret profoundly. During tho war we were, unfortunatoly,' on the side of the Ger^ maiis, but we have paid dearly for that mistake by losing almost half of Our Empire. We hope that everyone will now look to the future and not towards the past. ,

■'As regards the question of deports turns, I am not desirous of starting a polemical discussion in this conversation, but I am prepared to discuss the matter, as in the presence of God, with anyone, no matter whom. The same applies to all dther questions affecting the two countries."