Evening star., 1946-10-06
Turks Determined to Bar
Any Russian Domination
People Fiercely Independent and Will Hold Out
for Rights Counting on Sympathy of e
Western Democracies
By Constantine Br0vn

me BfOUn
to enter their territory There we're in.
cidents which, while Insignificant on
the surface, showed that as far back as
26 years ago the Turks could handle the
SovietS.
A Turkish diplomatic courier travelling
from Novorossisk on the Black Sea to
Moscow with the usual pouch was robbed
and his documents stolen. The Turkish
Foreign Minister called the Soviet AM
bassador at Ankara and protested this
breach of diplomatic immunity. Tho
Russian replied, "Your excellency, you
know we are still a country in full revo-
luton and our government cannot guar
antee anybody against such unfortunaro
incidents"
The Turks accepted the apology, but
called in the Minister of Interior after
the Ambassador left. He was told Of
the incident and informed that Rus
sian diplomatic courier was scheduled
to leave Ankara shortly for the Black
Sea port of Eneboli on his way to Mos
cow Nothing more was said. Within
week the Turkish Foreign Minister re-
ceived call from the Russian Ambas-
sador asking to be received without de-
lay. The Russian was all excited and
told the Turk the Russian messenger
had been attacked by brigands and
robbed not only of his diplomatic pouch
but also of all his clothing, money and
automobile. .,
Replied in Kind.
The Turkish Foreign Minister apollo
gized and said, you know, we are q
country in full revolution and cannot
guarantee the safety of anybody against
the roaming brigands."
The Turkish diplomats carrying COM
munications to the Embassy in Moscow
were never molested afterward.
The present Turkish government fol-
lowed the same psychology when it Or
dered the concentration of strong forces
at the borders of the republic in Europe
and in Eastern Anatolia soon after the
second Russian note concerning the Dar-
danelles was delivered. Ankara is fully
aware that the only reason Hitler did
not invade Turkey in 1912 or early in
1943 was that the German general staff
estimated that it needed at least IS
combat divisions to perform the opera
ton.
Today Turkey is stronger than she
was at that time. Her forces have been
better trained In modern warfare; her
aviation, which four years ago hardly
exceeded $50 planes OF all types, Is now
at least four times that size; the Turkish
Army formerly boasted Of few tanks,
while now it has sufficient. number to
enable her to put up good fight for
several months.
OF course, the Ankara government is
{ fully aware that it could not resist the
Russian power indefinitely and if left
to face it alone it would be destroyed
and Turkey would become just another
Russian-subjected country.
No Fifth Column.
Nevertheless, Turkey is determined to
"defy" the colossus in the East. The
Turks have had real freedom only since
early in the 1905 when the Sultanate
was abolished and the shackles with the
past broken. During these short years
they learned to love their full independ-
ence and would prefer going down fight
ing rather than accept foreign subjuga-
ton. Because of the full realization Of
what would happen to the bulk of the
peoples if they allowed themselves to be
made into puppets, there is no Soviet
fifth column in that republic as exists
in practically all the rest Of the world.
There are no large estates in Turkey
today; neither is great wealth concen-
trated in the hands Of a few. 1t Is
largely a peasant country with its In
habitants fanatically attached to their
own land. Like all peasants, they may
not be particularly good as an aggres-
sive army seeking territories outside the
republics boundaries, but they will fight
to the last to defend their own land.
Since 1920 when, Lenin decided to put
spokes in the imperialistic plans of the
British, French and Italians, the Rus
SLAMS have attempted in vain to create
a Communist Party-that is to say, .
fifth column-in that country.
Today there are as few followers Of
Moscow as there were then. The army
is fully democratic and intensely ma
tionalistic. Every man under arms
and Turkeys total mobilization can pro-
duce some 2,000, 900 mems fully aware
that he Is fighting for himself and not
for some vague and indefinite theology.
This attitude has allowed President
Ismet Inonou to resist the Moscow pres
sure and war of nerves.
In addition the Turkish government
is fully aware that the Russians are not
seeking merely to control the Dardan-
elles. Their desire to make Turkey into
another satellite is due to the fact that
Moscow wishes to control the entire
Middle East and Turkey is the key to
that important oil repository.
So long as Turkey stands out as an
independent country, Russia's aims in
Southern Iran, India and in the Arab
country will be difficult to fulfill.
The Turks know of the tremendous
Importance London places on that area.
They also know that the oil reserves OF
the United States have been greatly
taxed and that this country, in order
to remain first-class industrial power
must provide her people with the essen
tial liquid gold" This exists in almost
unlimited quantities in Saudi Arabia.
Russia, so most diplomatic observers
believe, wants to obtain dominating
position in the Middle East SO as to
prevent the "capitalistic countries" from
t..,,s,.r occocc {n tho loroo nil day,OSffs