Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-01
Demands on Turkey
Regarded as Powns
Russia Held Determined to
Dominate Border Areas

Russia Held Determined to
Dominate Border Areas
By Berfram Benedict
As Secretaries Byrnes and Beyin de-
parted from Moscow they left behind
them the problem OF the Russian
demand on Turkey for q huge dice of
territory along the southeastern shore
Of the Black Sea. The demand came,
not from Moscow. but from the Republic
OF Georgia, constituent state Of the
Soviet Union. And the demand was put
forward, not by the Georgian govern
ment at Tifiis. but by two prominent
Georgian nationalist, in letter made
public In Moscow. But sfor practical
purposes the demand may be regarded
as having the support OF the Soviet
government, which loves to move in
devious fashion. After all, Premier Stain
Is himself Georgian, and more will be
heard of the Georgian demands on
Turkey in 1916.
The Georgian demands for Turkish
territory include many districts which
used to be considered Armenian. The.
Republic OF Armenia, q constituent state
OF the Soviet Union, had previously
demanded from Turkey the districts of
kars and Arabian, much less extensive
than the territory demanded by Georgia.
The new demands on Turkey must
be regarded as pawns in the sreat
Daroaneiles game. But the demands
also carry out the innexible Russian de.
termination to have all territory adj
Joining the Soviet Union either in RUS
sian hands or under governments sub.
servient to Russia.
Along the western border of Russia
in-Europe, the new Finnish govern.
ment has obviously been made subser-
Went to Moscow; the three Baltic
states have been absorbed; the new
Polish government Is a Moscow puppet:
the Czechoslovakian and Romanian re-
gimes lie within the Soviet orbit. In
the southeast, puppet state has now
been set up on the Iranian border. But
IN the south, Turkey evidently wants to
be independent in fact as well as in
theory-so now Moscow Is moving for
protection also on the Soviet Turkish
border.
That border at present lies only q
Few miles south of Batum. And Batum
is the great port Of exit on the Black
Sea Tor the oil Of Baku, hundreds of
miles east on the Caspian.
Until the 10th century Georgia had
managed to keep itself INDEPENDENT,
with some intervals OF occupation by
Mongols, Persians and other invaders.
for almost 1000 years. In 1901 Russia
moved through the Caucasus and abb
sorbed Georgia. In 1878, after victory
over turkey In war, Russia was set
TO cut deeply into Turkey, but at the
congress OF Berlin had to be content
with Batum, Kars and Arabian.
BY the secret treaties of World War
/ Russia was promised Armenia. part
OF Kurdistan and other Turkish ter.
ritory along the southeastern shores
OF the Black Sea. Russian armies moved
into the promised territory, but then
came the collapse of the Czarist regime.
BY the treaty of Brest-Litovsk In 1918
Russia was forced to cede Batum. Ksrs
and Arabian to Turkey.
The peace treaties created on paper
stable state Of Armenia, taking in
much OF the eastern part of present-day
Turkey, with the mandate to 20 to the
United States. But the Senate, to put
1t mildly, wasn't interested In the man
date; Turkey got a new lease on life
under Mustapha Renal and his Young
Turks; and the proposed state of
Armenia never came into existence. In
1898, by treaty between Turkey and the
Soviet Union, Russia got Batum while
Turkey retained Kars and Arabian and
recognized the Soviet Republic of
Armenia.
During World War II the previous
cordial relations between Moscow and
Ankara cooled as Turkey persisted in
remaining neutral until German defeat
seemed assured. Turkey broke relations
with Berlin in 1914, but did not declare
war until February, 1915. On March
Il. 1915, Russia gave the requisite one
year notice for denouncing the Soviet.
turkish treaty signed In 1925. The
turkish territory now claimed by Geor-
ga Is fertile; its population Is too mixed
to support any claims based on ma
tionality.