Evening star., 1942-06-19
Turks Veering Closer
Toward Germany,
Reports Indicate
Censors Permitting Press
Compoign Sponsoring
Claims on Russia
By PAUL GHALI,
Foreign Correspond ent of The Star
Chicago Daily News.

Foreign Correspond ent of The Star anc
Chicago Daily News.
BERN, June ia sliding of the
Turkish neutrality policy" toward
closer friendship with the Reich was
indicated today by several reports to
Swiss newspapers.
A dispatch by the Berlin corre-
spondent of Die Tat clearly states
that Turkey has now adopted a
realistic policy" based on common
interest with and trust in Germany
Three items reported from Ankara
also reveal Turkeys new tendency.
One disclosed that the Turkish
censors are not interfering with the
current press campaign in Ankara
which is sponsoring Turkish terri
torial claims on the Caucasus and
"other Russian territories"
Next is an item which relates
Turkeys cordial reception to Ger
man Gen. Guhr on his official visit
to Ankara as the representative OF
the German Army at the opening of
an exhibition of pictures. of German
officers.
The third tells of the recent re-
placement of the Turkish interior
minister by Dr. Fikry Tuezer, for
mer secretary general of the People s
Party and noted Nazi sympathizer.
Bomber Incident Minimized.
On top of these indications OF
sH1 ir~ -I1rUielx
the violation" of Turkish neu-
'trality by American bombers. A
Wilhelmstrasse official yesterday
drew the special attention of foreign
correspondents in Berlin to the
seriousness of the question. A
,communique today from the official
sAnatolia agency should, however,
Sdampen the Wilhelmstrasse's in
dignation. 1t admits that the
American planes forced landing was
unintentional.
Although such wishful thinking
clearly lies behind German hopes
concerning Turkey, Near East ex-
.perts here today unanimously stress
the deplorable effect in their coun-
tries and among European neutrals
of 1t. Gen. Neil M. Ritchie's re-
verses in Libya. The new threat to
Egypt at this phase in the war
appears to all Moslem countries
and Turkey is one-as proof that
Notwithstanding British and Amer
lean communiques, a balance of
forces in the Near East remains
unachieved.
RAF Bombings Stopped.
These same observers also are i'm
pressed with the fact that RAF
bombings of the Ruhr region have
now completely stopped. If planes
are not in Libya and not over Ger
many, where are they? it is COM
monty asked among these circles
today. Observers also are inclined
to believe that the German conten-
ton that Raj bombings were
merely intended to impress Russian
Foreign Commissar Viacheslav M
Molotov during his London and
Washington negotiations perhaps
had a tough of truth in it.
The presence of Prime Minister
Churchill in the United States today
is interpreted as indication that
something is not going well among
the Allies and that the situation
needs careful examination.
Whether Turkey will react along
the lines Germany hopes remains,
however, extremely doubtful accord
ing to the opinion here today of
observers who do not exclude the
possibility that further British re-
verses in Libya may one day prove
the decisive factor in the Turkish
decision.
tCopyright, 1912, Chicago Daily News, 1nc.)