WIDE CONCERN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23968, 19 May 1941, Page 7

WIDE CONCERN

MIDDLE EAST EVENTS

TURKEY AND RUSSIA

JAPAN SHOWING INTEREST (Reed. 5.33 p.m.) LONDON, May IT Turkey has taken suitable measures along her eastern and southern frontiers since the latest developments in the Middle East, savs an agency message from Istanbul. The news of the British bombing of Syrian aerodromes caused a tremendous stir in official circles at Ankara. If fighting spreads to Syria, Turkey would bo virtually isolated from the democracies to which her policy is attached. Well-informed authorities at Ankara say Turkey would maintain an attitude of non-belligerency, and would only abandon it if her independence was threatened. This course could only bo interpreted as meaning Turkey would keep out of the war at all costs. "Belongs to Asiatics" Axis sources at Istanbul say that the German Ambassador to Turkey, von Papon, has offered Turkey some Greek islands off the Turkish coast if Turkey will co-operate with the Axis. The Tokio newspaper Yomiuri, commenting on the development in Syria, says: "The Near Fast must not be trampled or oppressed as a mere stage in tho battle between the European Powers for supremacy. Japan must watch the Near Fast developments with the greatest care, because of the overwhelming predominance of Japanese trade in the Near East. The European countries tend to believe the Near East is part of Europe, but it be.longs to the Asiatics." Russian Agreement The same paper states that a RussianGerman combine to defend Irak is being considered, and that it is reliably learned that Russia has invited the Afghanistan Foreign Minister to visit Moscow. Russia and Irak have signed an agreement for diplomatic, trade and consular arrangements, it is announced from Moscow. The Iraki rebel leader, Rashid Ali, has released all political prisoners, including Hiknat Sulaiman, who lias been appointed Iraki Ambassador to Russia, says an agency message from Cairo. The Soviet authorities have circulated an order to the Diplomatic Corps in Moscow forbidding all foreign diplomats and other foreigners to enter certain parts of Soviet Russia or to travel anywhere in Russia unless full details of the proposed journey are given to the Foreign Office. A long list of the new banned areas includes the northern ports, the western Ukraine, the Black Sea coast, the Baku oilfields and the Far East coasts. IN ACTION IN IRAK GERMAN AIRCRAFT BRITISH BOMBING RAID (Real. Ci.no p.m.) LONDON, May 17 The first official mention of German aircraft being in action in Irak is contained in a communique from the Middle Fast headquarters of the Royal Air Force, which states, according to a British official wireless message, that a number of German aircraft machinegunned the aerodrome at Mosul. Habbaniyah was raided by a formation of Heinkols, supported by Moaserschmitt IlO's, but tho damage caused was slight and there were few casualtics. Messcrschmitts also machinegunned an ambulance on the plateau. Machines of the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Air Forces carried out a raid on Amara. A Hcinkel was set on tiro and destroyed, and other aircraft were damaged. Petrol and oil tanks wero successfully bombed. An Iraki communique claims that troops are attacking the British positions near Basra, where a big battle is developing.