File 757/1909 'Persian Gulf:- Turkey and Turkish aggression (Occupation of Zakhnuniyeh Island. Attitude in piracy cases. Mudirs at Zubara, Odaid and Wakra) British Relations with Turkey in Persian Gulf' [‎67r] (138/495)

/.k -v'ec o.
[2988 ee — 3 ]
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
/L
T\
/
<?•>
/a
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
l^ECISIO
v/.
[November 28.]
Section 3.
(^T
ftp'll"’)
[43070] No - L
Mr. Marling to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received November 28.)
(No. 851.) Constantinople, November 23, 1910.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 843 of to-day’s date, I have the honour to
transmit to you herewith a copy of a despatch from His Majesty s consol at 1 ussora i
respectm^the Zakhn^ info ^ mec i you ; n his telegram No. 225 of the 17th October last,
the Minister for Foreign Affairs had stated to his Excellency that orders had been sent
to the Vali of Bussorah that when the gendarmes left Zakhnumeh at the end of the
fishing season, they should not he allowed to return there except under orders from
Constantin te i f .g ra phed this information at the same time to His Majesty s
consul at Bussorah, and requested him to ascertain whether these instructions had
been received bv the vali, and how far they had been acted xipon ; and in my telegram , \
No. 248 of the 14th instant to you, I reported that the gendarmes had deserted from
7 fllrbrmnich 'nerhans as an expedient to avoid formal withdrawal. ^ t i i v ~
It would seem from Mr. Crow’s present despatch, that the vali denied that he had
received 'any instructions on the subject from the Ministry of the Interior, maintained
that the island was Turkish property and considered th f 8 “s^eX
no right to enquire into the matter, either officially or privately, though lie subsequently
modified this attitude as far as to say that if His Majesty s consul addressed an enquiry
to him officiallv he would consider it. , . ,1 i .
In all probability the vali’s denials were “ official merely, and do not in the least
mean that he has not received his instructions, while his claim that Zakhnumeh
belongs to Turkey cannot be taken as an authoritative statement of the position of
the Ottoman Government.
^^CHARLES M. MARLING.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Cons id Crow to Sir G. Lowther.
^ T °- 62 -) Bussorah, October 27, 1910.
U ’ As instructed by your Excellency’s telegram of the 18th instant, I directed my
As mstrucie y y ivatelv an( j unofficially whether he had received the
eieerimfrom the Minister of the Interior, that the gendarmes sent to the island o
elegiam liom , . should not return there except under special orders
s“ iu., h, w *.»—* «< h—
CC °^rhe*vaii replied that he had not at present received any telegram on this subject
i i • i ri Polnno-pd to Turkev and that this consulate had no right to enquire
hat the island belong o/privately. His Excellency then told my dragoman
nto their affairs eit ‘ ^ P j f business it was to watch trade, should
hat he was astonished thiU the asked Hm to explain more precisely
nterfere m po i ,-i on bemef informed that most of the
Vhat l he r'^hTh the Xdwere ml ghrs aZ thaUhe enquiry on my part was
enough to say that if the consul addressed him
ifficiallv on the subject he would considei it.
I have informed the resident at Bushire according y. ^ ^ ^ &c