File 160/1903 'Persian Gulf: El Katr; appointment of Turkish Mudirs; question of Protectorate Treaty with El Katr' [‎331r] (666/860)

Zobara
:ams
and
and
arG ^ ie * Vila y et Bnssorah, and long administered by
Mudirs. Ihe British Besident could not be ignorant of the fact
Kairmh
thaf^v sovereignty of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan extended over the countries m
question, and he should have abstained from exercising the role of mediator between
the Arab Sheikhs without the previous assent of the Porte. In any case, the Ottoman
Government having been left in ignorance of this act, it can have no influence on its
sovereign rights. Moreover, it is merely an armistice between Sheikhs, and could in
no case be invoked against the establishment of Turkish military posts at Zobara and
The Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. reports that there are no Turkish troops
at Zobara, and that Odeid is unoccupied. Reports are prevalent that the Turks intend
to send troops to Katr to attack Jasim. The Resident suggests that he would
be justified in preventing the Turks from occupying either Zobara or Odeid, and
compelling their evacuation if suddenly seized. He has been instructed in reply by
Lord Lansdowne to report any movements of the Turks on Zobara or Odeid, but to
take no measures of forcible opposition without orders.
In 1893 the question of the Katr coast came to the fore, and the Porte informed
Sir C. Lord that the Sultan contemplated sending troops to the Katr coast as a
dependency of the Nejd. His Majesty’s Government instructed the Resident in the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to proceed in a ship of war to inquire into the disturbance. The Turkish
Government deprecated the dispatch of a British ship, and stated that the place
formed an integral part of the Ottoman dominions ; a telegram was communicated by
them from the Governor and inhabitants of Katr, acknowledging the Sultan’s
sovereignty.
Colonel Talbot, who did proceed to El Bidaa, recommended that an effort should
be made to procure the withdrawal of the Turks from the Katr peninsula. A proposal
was made to negotiate with the Sultan to resign his supposed rights over the Katr
peninsula to Jasim and Ahmed his brother, hut Lord Rosebery thought that nothing
would come of it.
Lord Kimberley subsequently proposed that Her Majesty’s Government should
continue the policy laid down in 1883 of denying Turkish jurisdiction over El Katr.
Lord Rosebery assented, but did not think it necessary to make any official communi
cation on the subject to the Turkish Government unless they raised the question
officially. Rustem Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. was reminded unofficially of Lord Granville’s Declaration of
the 7th May, 1883. (See above. Minute on India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. 10th August, 1893, in
Confidential Paper 6410.)
The Government of India have directed that the Commandant and Senior Naval
Officer may be informed that His Majesty’s ships are not to recognize Turkish rule at
El Bidaa, but that British Naval officers should avoid giving Turkish officials any
opportunity of asserting by overt action such nominal authority as the Porte possesses
in that locality, and to this end His Majesty’s ships should refrain from visiting the
harbour of El"Bidaa except when special occasion for doing so arises.
The India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. drew attention to the discrepancy in the suggestion contained in
the Foreign Office letter to the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. of the 26th August, 1893, of recognizing
the nominal suzerainty of the Porte at El Bidaa so long as the Turkish authorities do
not move bevond the limits of the town. It was pointed out that this was incom
patible with the instructions of the Government of India that Her Majesty’s ships
should not recognize Turkish rule at El Bidaa. In reply, the Foreign Office concurred
in the instruction to the Naval Commander.
A complaint being made by the “Nakhoda” (master) of a British boat against
the Turkish Commander at El Bidaa, the Government of India instructed the Political
Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to take no further action in the matter, as the result of
pursuing it further would probably have been to elicit from the Commandant’s superiors
an assertion of the Porte’s jurisdiction at El Bidaa.
(Signed) E. C. BLECH.
Sublime Porte,
No. 13,
January 2G, 1892.
Foreign Office,
No. 73, March 29
1892.
Foreign Office,
No. 123, May 23,
1893.
Foreign Office,
No. 225,
August 29, 1 £93
Foreign Office,
No. 94,
March 27, 1894.
Foreign Office^
No. 191,
June 19, 1894.
March 11, 1903.