THE MIDDLE EAST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17100, 24 February 1916, Page 7

THE MIDDLE EAST.

FIGHT NEAR ADEN. BRITISH DENY TURKISH CLAIM. “NEITHER ANNIHILATED NOR DEFEATED.” By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, February ‘J2. In the House of Commons, Mr Austen Chamberlain referred to the Turkish claim of having annihilated a British detachment. He said that the affair occurred on January 12 between a reconnoitring party from Aden and a Turkish detachment. One ' British officer and four Indian soldiers were killed, four British officers aud live Indian soldiers wounded. There were two hundred enemy casualties. The British were neither annihilated nor defeated.

ARMENIAN CAMPAIGN. ADVANCE ON TREBIZOND. NEW RUSSIAN FORCE LANDED ON COAST. NEW YORK, February 22. London advices state that under cover of the guns of warships Russian transports are landing large forces on the Armenian coast, seventy miles oast of Trebizond, against feeble resistance. The Russian troops are being' transported from Batoum, where they have been hold in readiness for several months. The fact that they were not used in the earlier stages of tho campaign in Turkish Armenia leads to the belief that tlm Grand Duke Nicholas lias a fresh army to pursue an aggressive campaign against the Turks in Armenia."driving them towards Constantinople and tlie British forces in Mesopotamia. (Received February 22. 9.15 p.m.) PETROGRAD. February 22. The Russians in the littoral of the Black Son arc chasing the Turks at the rate of twenty miles daily, and are threatening Trebizond, which is the only bar to the Russian dominance of flic region. (Received February 24, 12.40 a.m.) PETROGRAD, February 23. The Russians have reached Rizcli. forty miles cast of Trebizond.

FALL OF ERZERUM. TURKISH CASUALTIES. PETROGRAD. February 22. The number of Turks killed, .wounded and' taken prisoners at Erzerum is estimated at 40,000.

KITCHENER’S PRAISE. CONGRATULATIONS TO GRAND DUKE. LONDON, February 22. Lord Kitchener telegraphed to the Grand Duke Nicholas :-~“Hearticst congratulations from Britain and myself on the brilliant feat of arms of our Russian comrades at Erzorum.” The Grand Duke replied, thanking Lord Kitchener and- the brilliant British Army for their tribute.

TU R KISH A EMISSION.* (Received February 23. 9.15 p.m.) AMSTERDAM, February 22.' A Constantinople communique admits the withdrawal from Erzerum, but belittles the operations on the ground that Erzerum was unfortified.