THE TURKISH VITAL POINT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11582, 24 May 1916, Page 8

THE TURKISH VITAL POINT.

HURRYING TO MESOPOTAMIA. DENUDING EUROPEAN TURKEY OF TROOPS. London, May 353. The Times’ correspondent at Bucharest states that the Turks are hurrying all possible reinforcements to the interior of Asia Minor, leaving only 150,000 to defend Constantinople, Gallipoli and the Asia Minor Coast from Aivaiia to Eregly on the Black Sea. German officers are urging the danger of leaving the European front practically undefended. One thousand two hundred Austrians have gone to Bagdad and four thousand Germans are going, and the Turks are heavily concentrating at the north-west point where the Bagdad line crosses the Euphrates, fearing the Allies will attack from Aloxandretta.— Sydney Sun cable.

THE TURKISH ARMIES. COMMANDS AND NUMBERS. London, May 353, The Daily Mail’s Athens correspondent gives the number and disposition of Turkish forces as follows: — Von Sander’s command from the Dardanelles to Adalia, 180,000, including 50,000 at the Dardanelles ; Yon Trommer is in Thrace with 5500; in Constantinople are 8500, including many Austrians; Djemal Pasha in Syria has 70,000; in the Caucasus are 400,000; in Mesopotamia 130,000. Total 800,000. Probably many are iueffeetives. — Sydney Sun cable.