FORTIFICATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 140, 15 June 1936, Page 3

FORTIFICATION

TURKEY & THE STRAITS

INTERNATIONAL MACHINERY "TOO SLOW"

The text of the Note that Turkey has addressed to the signatories o: the Straits Convention was issued ir Angora recently, and is reported ir the "Manchester Guardian." The Not( stresses the change in the genera situation of Europe since the Conven tion was signed. It adds: "Europe was then on the road tc disarmament, and its political organisa tion was to rest solely on the un shakable principles of law as laic down in international undertakings Land, naval, and air forces were much less formidable. "Since then the situation in the Black Sea has assumed an aspect oi concord that is in every respect re assuring, while a state of uncertainty has gradually come about in the Mediterranean." Navies, air forces, and island fortifications had been increased. During this complete change of conditions the sole guarantee to obviate total insecurity of the Straits has in its turn disappeared, and while the Powers most interested proclaim the existence of a threat of a general conflagration, Turkey at her most vulnerable pQint finds herself exposed to the worst dangers without anything to set against this disquieting insecurity. "In acceding to the pressing demands which were made to her Turkey agreed to the demilitarisation of the Straits, which were then completely occupied by foreign troops, after considering at length the value, in the existing conditions, of the minimum guarantees which were offered her. "POLITICAL CRISES." "It is clear that if this guarantee be-

comes inoperative or uncertain the 1 whole equilibrium of the agreement would be upset, to the detriment of Turkey and of the peace of Europe. Now political crises have clearly shown that the present machinery for collective guarantees is too slow in coming into operation and that a delayed decision is likely in most cases

to cause the loss of the benefits oi international action. "It is for this reason that Turkey felt herself unable to be satisfied in 1923—as many other Powers are at the present moment—with the collective guarantee that was supposed to be assured to her by the Covenant so soon as Turkey became a member of the League of Nations. It is for this reason that she judged insufficient the collective guarantee of all the signatories of the Straits Convention and that she felt that only the combined guarantee of the four Great Powers seemed to her capable of assuring in the existing conditions the minimum and indispensable security of her territorial integrity. "But if that minimum is ' itself weakened or made problematical by political or military circumstances entirely different from those which existed at the time of its establishment, the Government of the Turkish Republic cannot without incurring the blame for grave negligence expose (the whole country to an irreparable ' coup de main. "The position of the guarantors of the security of the Straits vis-a-vis the League of Nations and the particular circumstances rendering the military and effective collaboration of those guarantors less doubtful before the objective which has been assigned to them are elements which have completely upset the general basis of the 1923 convention. , "FAILURE" OF GUARANTORS?

"It cannot be affirmed today that the security of the Straits is still assured by a real guarantee, and Turkey cannot be asked to remain indifferent to the possibility of a dangerous failure on the part of the guarantors to do anything. There is room to add to these considerations that the Straits Convention mentions only a state of peace and war, in the latter case Turkey being treated either as a neutral or a belligerent, without foreseeing the eventuality of a Special or general threat of war, and permitting Turkey to take measures, in this case for her legitimate defence. "Today it has been clearly demonstrated that the most delicate phase of an eternal danger is precisely this phase of a threat of a state of war, possibly arising at any moment unexpectedly and without any formality. "This gap can of itself rob the contemplated guarantees, whatever their value, of their efficiency. From the beginning of its existence the Republic of Turkey has followed a policy of peace and understanding the carrying out of which in all domains has not failed to impose on it frequent heavy

"The Turkish Government has shown on co.untless occasions which have arisen during the last ten years a spirit of conciliation, of loyalty to her engagement, and of sincere attachment to the cause of peace which has been appreciated by 'all Powers. That security which Turkey has always assured to others she has a right to demand for herself. "Circumstances independent of the will of the signatories of Lausanne have made inoperative the clauses established.in entire good faith, and since the existence of Turkey and the security of all her territory is at stake the Government of the Republic may* be led to take upon itself the responsibility before the nation of adopting the measures • dictated by imperious necessity.

REQUEST FOR NEGOTIATIONS. "In view of the considerations mentioned above and justly deeming that the provisions of article 18 of _ the Straits Convention concerning a joint guarantee of the four Great Powers have become inoperative and uncertain and that they can no longer in practice cover Turkey against an external danger to her territory, the Government of the Re/üblic has the honour to inform the Powers which took part in the negotiations for the Straits Convention that it is ready to enter into discussions with a view to arriving in the near future at the conclusion of agreements destined to regulate the regime of the Straits under conditions of security _ which are indispensable to the inviolability of Turkey's territory and in the most liberal spirit for the constant development of commercial navigation between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea."

Article 18 of the Straits Convention states: —

The High Contracting Parties, desiring to secure that the demilitarisation of the Straits and of the contiguous zones shall not constitute an unjustifiable danger to the military security of Turkey, and that no act of war should imperil the freedom of the Straits or the safety of the demilitarised zones, agree as follows: —

Should the freedom of navigation of the Straits or tho security of the demilitarised zones be imperilled by a violation of tho provisions relating to freedom of passage, or by a surprise attack or some act of war or threat of war, tho High Contracting Parties, and 111 any case Franco, Great Britain, Italy, and ■Tapan, acting in conjunction, will meet such violation, attack, or other act of war or threat of war by all means that the Council

nf Ihe League of Nations may decido for this purpose.

So soon as the circumstance which may have necessitated the action provided for in the preceding paragraph shall have ended, the regime of the Straits as laid down by the terms of the present Convention shall again be strictly applied. The present provision, which forms

an integral part of those relating to the demilitarisation and to the freedom of the Straits, does not prejudice the rights and obligations of the High Contracting 'Parties under the Covenant of the League of Nations.