OPUNAKE TIMES “Speaks for the District FRIDAY, JULY 25 1941. TURKEY AND THE WAR

Opunake Times, 25 July 1941, Page 4

OPUNAKE TIMES “Speaks for the District FRIDAY, JULY 25 1941. TURKEY AND THE WAR

Russia, in her unexpected role of victim of German aggression, has found occasion to warn Turkey of the consequences of nonaggression pacts with Hitler. Although M. Litvinoff, with hitter experience of the fate of the Russo-German Pact, spoke to the Turks with some feeling, the Turkish press, once ready enough to denounce the bad faith of the Nazis, has taken the warning in bad part. The authorities at Ankara have suppressed the offending newspapers at Istanbul for three days. The Turkish press has some cause for complaint. . According to the TurcoGerman Pact of last month the press of both countries was to adopt an attitude of mutual goodwill. The outbreak of the RussoGerman war shortly after the conclusion of the pact revealed its true purpose—the immobilising of Turkey while attempted to destroy Russia. The Turks, who owe a good deal to the Soviet, in effect agreed to prevent British help reaching Russia through the Dardanelles or over Turkish territory. Such useful help to Germany persuaded the Istanbul papers that warnings from Russia, however kindly meant, were inconsistent with Turkish policy. They apparently presumed too much. With Syria in British hands Turkey is no longer cut off from Britain, her true ally. Hitler’s lightning blow at Russia has not yet been driven home. The Turkish Government has more than once affirmed that its pact with Germany does not override its obligations to Great Britain. Although the assurance is not as comforting as we might wish, this latest reaction to Russia’s warning gives us some ground for encouragement.