The Germans Who Default

Turkey was not a qualified ally; this had already been proven during the Great War.

In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that, as a great power, Australasia could never truly trust any of its allies under any circumstances. Remaining vigilant against every nation was the only approach that aligned with the current world order.

However, compared to the alliance between Turkey and Australasia that Ali Mustafa Yusuf spoke of, Arthur was far more interested in Turkey's strategic position.

As a nominally transcontinental country spanning Europe and Asia, Turkey lay remarkably close to the Suez Canal and the Strait of Constantinople, and shared a close proximity to the Balkans.

Going a step further, Turkey's geographical location could also exert a profound influence on the Middle East, which would prove helpful for Australasia's Middle Eastern oil strategy.

Overall, gaining Turkey as an ally brought more benefits than drawbacks. After all, modern Turkey was no longer the former Ottoman Empire; as a nascent nation undergoing reforms, it was theoretically worth keeping an eye on.

This was not to say that Arthur harbored blind confidence in Turkey. Judging simply from the Turkish reform agenda laid out by the Vice President, one could easily discern Kemal's firm resolve to reform the nation.

The previous war had already allowed Kemal to secure the majority of power within the Turkish government, ensuring that this modernization drive faced virtually no opposition forces.

In Kemal's reform plan, he intended to abolish the religious systems of the Ottoman-Empire era, the practice of polygamy that had prevailed for centuries, and the traditional attire of the Ottomans, among other things.

These changes were monumental for contemporary Turkey, and the new Republic of Turkey was destined to differ vastly from the former Ottoman Empire.

Prompted by Arthur's cue, the negotiations between