Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-07-14

So far as the American public is
concerned, Turkey Is only a speck on
the map of the world, best known before
the World War for It's atrocities against
the Armenians and since for its demo-
cratic and truly liberal form of govern
ment established by Renal Ataturk,
the founder of the modern republic
which broke altogether with its shady
past.
The Turkish government and its
people, however, are placed at vital
strategic and political crossroads in
Europe and Asia. In the last few weeks
she has, through no fault of her own,
been catapulted into political promi-
nence and will have the doubtful honor
of becoming the basis of most i'm
portant and heated subject of dis
cussion at the Big Three meeting at
Potsdam.
The Russians are claiming some por-
tons of Turkeys territory both along
her eastern and western boundaries.
They are also said to be demanding a
thorough change in the present govern
ment. American and British diplomats
accompanying President Truman and
Prime Minister Churchill to Potsdam
hope the difficulties which have so un-
expectedly arisen between these two
members of the world peace organiza-
ton might be settled amicably by con-
cessions on both sides.
The Turks fear that this will not be
the case. The Russian newspapers, re-
f1ecting the views of the government, are
harping on the theme that Turky is the
traditional enemy of Russia and point
out that all the major wars Russia
has fought since the days OF Peter
the Great-with the exception OF the
present war-were against the Turks.
This expression, which must be con-
sidered as the official reflection of
Premier Stain, causes the Ankara gov
eminent to doubt that there is hope
of avoiding trouble unless 1t accepts the
Russian demands.
This, in the opinion of the Turkish
government, means yielding the SOW
ereignty of the country to another power.
And at this time the Turks do not seem
inclined to do so. Their principal hope
is that if they agree to genuine neu-
traliZation of the Dardanelles, whose
standardization will be controlled by
the military advisers OF the newly Gre
ated Council of the International Peace
Organization, the United States and
Great Britain will stand by them.
Now that the war is over many OF the
secret developments in the Middle East
may come to light. For instance, the
Turks are reported to be ready to pro-
duce conclusive proofs that their attl-
tude of strict neutrality has been an
important asset in favor of the Allies
and may have saved Russia from dis
aSter.
The story is being told, and 1t APP
pears that documentary evidence has
been seen by high Allied officials. that
in the summer of 1942 Ambassador
Franz Won Papen made definite offers
to Turkey to abandon her neutrality
and permit Germany to use number
of airfields in Asia Minor. At that
time the prospects of the Allies win
ming the war appeared slim to out
siders.
The Germans are said to have Of
fered Turkey important territorial COM
pensations in Northern Iran, an area
extending from Lake Urmia to Reshr
Won Papen's proposition is said to have
carried another gestion-that Tur-
key would receive the entire area from
Batum to Tif1is If Turkeys armies,
which were to be supplied by the
Reich. would enter the war and at
tack the Russian forces in the Cau-
casus.
The Turks refused politely but firmly
Besides their determination to live
up to the alliance with Great Britain
they were ideologically on the side
OF the Allies. According to military
experts, had Turkey accepted either
of the German offers the whole story
OF the war might have been different
and Stalingrad might not have been
the grave OF Hitler's dreams for world
domination.
Since the beginning of the second
World War the Turks have been con-
scious of Russia's desire to establish
herself In the Dardanelles and dis
lodge Turkey from her European ter
ritories. They knew, of course. that
: US