British Empire labels Ottomans for "annihilation" following violation of peace treaty

Residents of Asia were stunned when, last December, the Ottoman Sultan and other dignitaries of the Sublime Port signed a treaty of near-unconditional surrender to the British government, ceding all their territories south of Turkey to British jurisdiction. This year, however, has shown further evidence of Constantinople's erratic foreign policy when, in a dramatic and literal about-face, Turkey struck back at British forces moving in to occupy Egypt and Iraq according to the terms of a treaty which the Ottoman government had signed. Ottoman treachery was completed when units of the empire's Black Sea fleet launched an all-out attack on Soviet ports in the Crimea.

British foreign secretary William Athgate comments:
"Turkish policy at this point is totally inexplicable. In a matter days they have simultaneously insulted the two Great Powers which border on them and made themselves open to attack from either. In my view, the future of the Ottoman Empire is bleak at this point unless the Turks can pull off a maneuver as brilliant as previous ones have been erratic."

Meanwhile, British Imperial High Command have delivered more pointed criticisms against this Turkish betrayal, declaring the Ottoman Empire "fit for annihilation". British forces in the Middle East are now advancing in strength and it seems likely that soon they will have seized by force what was denied them by diplomacy.