MR. EDEN AND GENERAL DILL IN TURKEY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 49, 27 February 1941, Page 5

MR. EDEN AND GENERAL DILL IN TURKEY

BALKANS ELECTRIFIED TURKISH PLEASURE AT THE VISIT (By Telegrapk—Press Association—Copyright) Received Feb. 26. 5.5 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 25. The British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, accompanied by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Sir John Dili, arrived in Ankara and will remain there at least three days, before going to Athens (Greece). The arrival of Mr. Eden, with General Dill and 13 officials, including General J. H. Marshall-Cornwall, who represented the British Middle East Command at recent military conversations in Turkey, has electrified the Balkans and delighted the Turks, whose pleasure at a demonstration that Britain is actively behind them far outweighs considerations of the Germans’ disapproval of the visit. Representatives of the Government and British emissaries went to Adana to meet Mr. Eden and General Dill, and entrained with them, getting down to preliminary talks immediately. Mr. Eden is to see M. Saracoglu. the Turkish Foreign Minister, and Sir John Dill is to see the chief of the Turkish general staff. The Times says Mr. Eden's and Sir John Dill’s journey to Ankara is concerned with the hard facts of the Balkans situation rather than an 11th hour move. Agreement was arranged some time ago. When the German menace to Bulgaria sharply increased, bringing the probability of a German advance t.> the Turkish and Greek frontiers, a Turkish military thrust into Bulgaria to meet the incoming Germans once seemed probable, but stra'egic and other reasons suggested that Turkish armies might serve the Allied cause better by awaiting events than committing themselves to action across their northern frontier beforehand. The Turks now realised that there are other ways of safeguarding their own security and honouring the.r promises to the Allies. The Turkish radio states that Mr. Eden raised cheers from soldier., in a guard of honour at Adana when he addressed them in Turkish.