HELP TO ALLIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 63, 15 March 1945, Page 7

HELP TO ALLIES

TURKISH NATION

BEFORE DECLARATION OF WAR ' Rec. 12.30 p.m. RUGBY, March 14. The entry of Turkey into the war in the earlier .stages would have been for us a diplomatic victory, but it might also have produced military disaster, said Admiral Sir Howard Kelly, who for over four years was special British representative in Turkey, in a speech to the Royal Empire Society. Speaking of Turkish policy during the war, he said that on returning to England he found it had been misunderstood. Turkey lacked all the essentials of modern warfare, and the wellknown fighting qualities of the Turkish army could never make up for this lack of material, but at a moment when our prospects were far from brilliant the Turks, by their own wish, signed the Anglo-French Turkish Treaty, to our considerable benefit. Thus Turkey was a restraining influence on Italy at a time when her intervention might have been a positive misfortune for us, and throughout the whole war Tux-kish influence in the Moslem world had benefited us far more than, had ever been recognised.

Whenever our fortunes were at the lowest ebb. the President and the Prime Minister or the Foreign Min-j ister had always found opportunities I to make speeches in which they had reaffirmed their fidelity to the treaty and confidence in the ultimate victory of our cause. Failing a declaration of war on the side of the Axis, Turkey was pressed to the limit to grant bases and permit the transport, at any rate, of war materials, if transport personnel was refused. Happily for us. Turkey stood firm as a rock and told the Germans that any infringements of her rights would be resisted by force of arms. VITAL MATERIAL AID. Moreover, the Turks had helped us in many ways far surpassing the bounds of benevolent non-belligerency. In the difficult days of the Libyan campaign they gave generous aid byallowing us long use of a special type of craft which was most suitable for landing tanks and wheeled transport at a time when no British vessel for such service was available. During our temporary occupation of some of the Dodecanese islands the Turks gave us vital material assistance, and during the evacuation our losses were much reduced, thanks to their help. Sir Howard Kelly said that Turkey lhad no territorial ambitions, but must take a prominent part in any settlement of Balkan problems. "Turkey is in full process of development, and there are immense possibilities for us to assist in this development under numerous schemes to be carried out after the war," he said. "Friendship and co-operation with Britain is not a wartime measure for Turkey. It is a long-term policy, and if we do not want to profit by this there are plenty of others anxiously waiting to seize the opportunities we shall have | missed."—B.O.W.