RUSSIAN DEMANDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26034, 24 December 1945, Page 7

RUSSIAN DEMANDS

TURKISH TERRITORY “MORE THAN LOCAL ISSUE ANKARA, Dec. 21. “ The fact that Russia has not renewed the treaty of friendship and non-aggression with Turkey has not lessened Turkey's desire for friendship,” sai'd the Foreign Minister, M. Saka, in a speech to Parliment. “ Turkey’s aim is peace at home and abroad. We shall continue to follow our national policy, which asks nothing of anybody, and will give nothing to anybody.” . General Kazim Karabekir told the Assembly that if foreign Press reports v/ere correct ” our neighbour northward would appear to have several claims against us. The whole world must know that the straits form the throat of the Turkish nation and the Kars Plateau is its backbone.” The Daily Telegraph's correspondent in Moscow emphasises that though Russian claims against Turkey “for the return of territory seized by Turkey ” were originally advanced in a 4.000word letter to a Tiflis newspaper from two Georgian professors, Djanashia and Berdzenishvili, the fact that Moscow newspapers produced the letter under a four-column heading reading “ our lawful demands 'to Turkey ” makes the matter far more than a local or academic issue. The correspondent adds that the territory concerned includes the important communication centres of Ardahan, Artvin. Oita, Bayburt. and Gumasane, and the important ports of Trabzon and GirSsun. The Russian claims give Georgia a coast line including the eastern corner of the Black Sea. and also put the Soviet land and sea border farther from Batum, which is at present a frontier town. The British and American delegations to the Moscow Conference have studied the demands. The demands are causing comment in diplomatic circles, the members of which recall earlier statements from Soviet Armenia concerning Kars and other Armenian areas now forming part of Turkey. The Kars area formed part of Russia until after the first World War, when it was transferred to Turkey.