Evening star., 1943-02-03
Turkey Considers

turkey Considers
The meeting between Prime Min
ister Winston Churchill and Presi-
dent 1smet 1nonu of Turkey is un-
questionably an event OF much sig
nificance. though its immediate
meaning is not yet clear and may be
variously interpreted.
1t was full-dedged diplomatic
conference. The principals were at
tended not merely by their respective
political seconds but also by high
ranking military officers who appear
to have engaged in staff talks, thus
combining strategic with diplomatic
considerations. The significance of
the meeting Is enhanced by the fact
that it was held on Turkish soil at
the town Of Adana, near the border
Of Syria, which is under British con-
troll. Another noteworthy factor is
that it came Immediately after the
Casablanca conference, at which
far-reaching military decisions were
arrived at between Churchill and
President Roosevelt.
Turkeys attitude during the war
has been fairly good barometer of
the changing situation. When the
war broke out In the early autumn
OF 1899, Turkey had a defensive alli-
ance with Britain and France, its
scope covering the Eastern Mediter-
ranean area. The collapse Of France
In the summer of 1910 radically al
tered the premises under which the
alliance had been concluded. Britain
alone was too weak to render much
assistance, and the Turks were fur
ther perturbed by the understanding
arrived at between Germany and
Soviet Russia. Thus isolated, Tur-
keys realistic statesmen sought
refuge In policy OF cannily balanced
neutrality. The treaty with Britain
was not renounced, but it was offset
by one with Germany, and when the
Axis crushed Greece and Yugoslavia
in the spring of 1941, Turkey stood
carefully aloof. However, It's states
men made it clear that they were
prepared to defend their neutrality
at all costs. The army was fully
mobilized. and the traditional ex-
cellence of the Turkish soldier as
sured q stout resistance to any in
vader, even though lack Of modern
equipment would have gravely ham
dicapped the defense.
The German invasion Of Russia
put Turkish neutrality to its severest
test. Berlin undoubtedly put great
pressure on Turkey to permit Axis
warships to pass through the straits
into the Black Sea. But the Turk
ish government stood firm. and
Berlin never ventured to force the
issue. Meanwhile, Turkeys military.
strength was being steadily built up
by British equipment sent under the
terms of the alliance treaty, and
later supplemented by American
equipment under our lend lease leg
islation. With nearly 1000, Geo men
under arms, Turkey was In an In
creasingly better posture to conduct
= self-reliant foreign policy.
The turn OF the tide. against the
Axis has become 80 pronounced that
Turkey Is acquiring 4 much wider
freedom Of action. There can be no
doubt that Turkish neutrality has
always been benevolently inclined
towards Britain and that its states
men dreaded q victory Of the Axis.
But from this 1t does not necessarily
follow that the Ankara government
would deliberately enter the war on
the side Of the United Nations, de-
sirable though this would be for US.
Armed neutrality has imposed heavy
burdens on Turkeys 5 none -too-pros-
porous economy, and the devastation
which has ragged around nearly all
its frontiers cannot have inclined
the Turkish people voluntarily to
plunge into the maelstrom. For the
immediate future, at least, Ankara
Is likely to maintain its neutrality,
with growing benevolence toward the
Allies.