TURKEY AND THE WAR

Evening Star, Issue 23882, 12 May 1941, Page 9

TURKEY AND THE WAR

MILITARY STRENGTH For a long time after the World War restrictions were laid upon Turkish rearming, but most af these were ultimately lifted or merely disregarded, and permission was given by the assembled Powers for the refortificatioii of the Dardanelles to be carried out. Krupp and Skoda are reported to have shared this contract. The Turkish army to-day consists of 11 army corps, comprising 23 infantry divisions, three cavalry divisions, and seven fortress commands. This is approximately war strength, and very little expansion would be possible if the country were attacked. Such a mobilisation has been made possible by the calling up reservists and the premature mobilisation of now classes for training. Behind this force is a total of about 750.000 trained reservists, and the annual intake of the army has been about 80.000 men, roughly half the annual contingent of men liable to serve. Tho army is equipped mainly with Mauser (German) rifles, and the artillery with 3in field guns and also with 4.5 m and Gin howitzers of various foreign makes. There is an armoured brigade which, according to recent information, is chiefly supplied with medium tanks, and the army also uses a six-wheeled armoured car with a revolving turret. Some of the tanks have come from Russia. As in most European countries service in the Turkish Army is compulsory. It lasts for 18 months in the case of the infantry, and two years in the case of artillery, cavalry, air force, and technical units. Men are liable to serve at 20, and remain liable for 26 years. AIR FORCE. The Turkish air force was born in 1936, when General Inonu, now the country’s leader, urged its extension in view of the international situation. Tho goal announced was 1,000 planes and 15,000 pilots. However, this is far from being attained. The approximate strength of the air force is probably not much more than 400 planes, and the total air personnel has recently been estimated as 8,000. But the known strength at the outbreak of war was 8,400, arid there is every reason to believe that an active policy of training has been carried out for the past year, so the figure may be well over 10.000 by now. Some of the machines used by this air force are obsolescent, but many of them are still useful. The Turks have had Blenheim bombers delivered to them and have obtained a ( number of fairly recent American-made planes, and they have been able to draw some types from Russia,, it is thought. A great deal depends on how close the liaison with Britain has been and how far the British Government has agreed to spare material for the equipment of Turkey. That ranks as a war secret. The Turkish navy is manned by about 10.000 men, but its effective etrengtli is about half that figure. The fleet includes tho battle cruiser Yayuz, formerly the German ship Goobeh, which escaped to Turkish waters in the World War. This ship is of 23,000 tons and mounts ton llin guns. There are also the cruisers Hamidiye, of 3,800 tons, and the Mecidive, 3,300 tons, mountings 5.9 in guns..and o.lin guns .respectively, and both 38 years old, and there are two gun-boats, three minesweepers, four destroyers, six submarines, and auxiliary craft. Four of tho destroyers are modern Italian-built craft, and five of the submarines are modern ships. One came from Germany just before the war began. In addition, Turkey has been planning to develop her own construction of warships and has been building two more submarines in the Golden Horn. Two minelayers have recently been turned out from the , Turkish yard at Golcuk. This work has been developed by Krupp, and one of tho sensations of last year was when the Turks suddenly packed the Germans engaged in it off back homo. INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATION. Some attention has been paid to tho need to strengthen the industrial; organisation of the country in case of war. Construction of steel works has been pushed ahead in Karabuk, in Central Anatolia. Before the German occupation of Czeeho-Slovakia Skoda was said to be developing other industrial plans for the Government, but the details have never been revealed. The recognition of Turkey’s industrial weakness led to the creation of a Five-year Plan for industrialisation of the country in 1934. This was followed by the establishment of such staple industries as textiles, mining, paper, sugar, glass, and cement. A second Five-year Plan was approved in 1936 relating mainly to mines, mining industries, and electrification, and £100,000,000 (Turkish) was allowed for carrying it out. Further stimulus came from the £10,000,000 loan made by the British Government as part of tho Anglo-Tnrkish Guarantee Agreement. Much of this is reported to have been spent in fortifying the European frontiers of the country. The first blast furnace at Karabuk was lit at the end of 1939. This establishment was to cost £3,000,000. But despite all these efforts Turkey remains predominantly an agricultural country. With a population of 14,000,000 she had fairly recently only two and a-half times the number "of industrial workers that there are in New Zealand. Her chief export has remained tobacco, which equals the next three items together in value. These throe items are cotton, shelled hazel nuts, and dried raisins, and the other important exports are figs, barley, chrome, and mohair. The Turks, as New Zealanders know from the World War, are good fighters, and have usually been considered especially tenacious in defence. In a new war they would appear to be short of materia], as they were in the last conflict, but no doubt could receive substantial aid from Britain in a reasonable time. They have shown military ability in the past, but are handicapped by their communications system, which is still deficient. On their own ground they would be formidable opponents, and might easily distinguished themselves as the Greeks have done.