The Neighbors

Ever since Tito's break with Russia, allied strategists have sought a way to fit Communist Yugoslavia into the pattern of Western defense. Last week, in a new Balkan Entente, the way was found. In Ankara's diplomatic guest house, the Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Greece and Yugoslavia signed a mutual friendship pact that binds them--for five years--to cooperate for their common defense.

To bring together such ancient enemies required not only a threat from without, but statesmanship within. Six years ago, Yugoslavia was slipping arms to Greek Red guerrillas. Thirty years ago, Greek troops invaded the Turkish empire, hoping to be avenged for the centuries when the Ottoman Turks ruled in Athens, Belgrade, and through most of the Balkans. The Greeks, including their present Prime Minister, Alexander Papagos, then a division commander, were routed. From that unhappy local war came one of history's great population swaps: nearly two million Greeks migrating from Turkey, about a million Turks migrating from Greece.

Turkey and Greece had long since made common cause; last summer Tito announced that he was willing to cooperate, but saw no need for formal defense pacts until the threat of aggression was clear. He has since changed his mind.

Because Yugoslavia does not belong to NATO, while Greece and Turkey do, the pact itself contains no military clauses, no guarantee that an attack on one will be met by resistance from all. Such a guarantee would violate Greek and Turkish NATO commitments, by forcing other NATO members to defend Yugoslavia. But by means of a tripartite military staff, the treaty, in effect, aligns Yugoslavia's 300,000-man army and its U.S.-made tanks and U.S.-made jets, with the NATO army of General Matthew Ridgway.

As part of their friendly compact, the three nations said they would happily accept other nations into their partnership. This was meant primarily for Italy's benefit, though Italy will not join the new Entente, nor let Yugoslavia into NATO, until its quarrel with Tito over Trieste is decided. The invitation was intended for other ears too: it was a hint to Soviet Balkan satellites that they might find partners if they ever broke away from Kremlin domination.

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