ASIA MINOR

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 15 September 1921, Page 5

ASIA MINOR

UNSATISFACTORY POSITION

TURKS AND GREEKS EXHAUSTED

BY CABLE—PBESS ABSOCIATIOS—COPYBIGHX .__,_. LONDON, Sep. 13. The Foreign Office, questioned as to the position in Asia Minor, said sjb was! obscure and unsatisfactory. Britain! ■ad to rely on the communiques of both :sides pending verification. j Discussing the progress of the warfare, the Foreign Office pointed ou« that after the Greeks had made a succession of strong attacks the Turks entrenched along the line of t&» Sakaria river, and occupied practically impregnable positions in the mountains overlooking the winding river. In some places they were entrenched . 8000, feet above the river. j The 'Greeks advanced a considerable' distance, many getting over the river, • nut progress towards Angora was held, up. The Turks, at the end of July, [ feanng Angora was about to be captured, prepared, to remove the seat of government to Kaisarich, hut stopped the operations at the last moment. I . The Foreign Office has received in-' formation that both the Turks and Greeks are exhausted and unable to' advance. The Turks had depended mainly on suoplies of arms and gold from' the Bofeheviks. who. desnite askuier the Allies for £40,000,000; seemed to have plenty of money for propaganda purposes. They had sent large, quantities of ammunition, which enabled the Turks to continue their resistance, j . On the other hand the Greeks were handicapped by Britain's embargo on ' munitions going to either side. Britain is_not prepared to mediate until both mdes are ready to accent the previous ) offers of mediation,, which they re-f fused. * -• . ■■

; , ATHENS. Bep. 12. A '"or.muniqne states: "The enemy attacked onr centre and left in great* strength, but were renuTsed."