Military Staff Parleys Begun Immediately Protocol Exempts Turks from War on Soviets Ankara, Oct, 19. one the bonds between Turkey and the Allied Powers, a pact, providing for mutual assistance in certain specified circumstances, was signed here this afternoon between Great Britain, France and Turkey. The pact consists of nine articles, and there is a protocol exempting Turkey from the obligations of the Treaty which would compel her to enter an armed conflict with Russia.
Staff talks between Turkish military leaders and Lt.-General A. P. Wavell, Commander of the British land forces in the Middle East, and General Maxime Weygand, former French Chief of Staff, began here today. Meanwhile, most Ministers and many deputies have left Ankara for Erzerum, in Armenia, to attend the opening of a railroad between Sivas and Erzerum, linking Ankara with East Anatolia (Asia Minor) via Kayseri and Sivas.
The railway is considered of great strategic importance, because it will enable the rapid movement of troops and war materials to and from East Anatolia, where the most important army corps are usually concentrated.
The nine articles of the new pact provide:
1. Great Britain and France are to assist Turkey if Turkey is a victim of aggression.
2. Mutual assistance is to be provided if Turkey, on the one hand, and Great Britain and France. on the other, are involved in a war in the Mediterranean as a result of an act of aggression.
3. Turkey is to assist Great Britain and France in hostilities arising in virtue of &he Anglo-French guarantees to Greece and Rumania.
4. If Great Britain and France are involved in hostilities in consequence of aggression by a European Power without the provisions of Articles 2 and 3 being applicable, the contracting parties will consult together, while Turkey will observe at least a benevolent neutrality towards Great Britain and France.
5. This clause provides for similar consultation with a view to common action in the event of aggression against another European state which any of the contracting parties has undertaken to assist, or in the event of indirect aggression which menaces the security 6. "This clause affirms that the Treaty any contracting Power, is not directed against any country.
7. The provisions are to be equally binding as bilateral obligations between Turkey and each of the two other contracting parties, 8. If the contractants are engaged in hostilities in consequence of the operation of the Treaty, they will not conclude a separate peace.
9. The Treaty is valid for fifteen years and is automatically renewable for a further five years, unless denoupeed at the expiration of fifteen years, and becomes effective immediately.—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.