The Reward for Turkey and Greece
If there are two European countries which deserve more than others the gratitude of the Western Powers for the stand they have taken against Communist expansion they are Greece and Turkey. The long struggle by which in the end the Greeks turned back the aggressors from their northern frontier takes its place with the Berlin air-lift and the Korean war as a major landmark of post-war resistance. The complete steadfastness with which the Turks, in a post of great danger and often sub- jected to thinly-veiled threats, have maintained their armed forces—and used them most impressively in Korea—is equally descrying of recognition. And the recognition which both are eagerly seeking is inclusion as full members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Since they have worked their passage, since they undoubtedly have a positive part to play in any defensive system which aims at preventing an armed Communist incursion into Europe. and particularly since the United States Government is known to favour their inclusion, it is difficult to see what the rest of the members of N.A.T.O. are hesitating about. Mr. Morrison's recent statement that these two coun- tries are already "associated with" the Eastern Mediterranean defence arrangements does not take the matter very far. Any r such arrangement with which they were not associated would be a very peculiar one. Nor does the argument that Britain already has a defence agreement with Turkey and an under- 'standing with Greece fill the bill. What these two countries want is neither a mere recognition of their reliability, nor the leacher which membership of N.A.T.O. may give, but a practical , acceptance by the other N.A.T.O. Powers of the fact that Turkey and Greece are inside the geographical block of countries lying in the way of Russian aggression to the West and that they have . as much right to say their say as they have obligation to do their duty.
