'File No. II/8 Foreign Dept Memoranda of Information re. affairs in Turkish Arabia. Nov '07 --' [‎39r] (77/110)

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TURKISH ARABIA A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. .
207. On the 2nd November the Political
Navigation “ of the Resident in Turkish
rivers in Turkey. Arabia informed His
Majesty’s Ambassador at Constantinople that,
in his opinion, the approaching visit of Sir
William Willcocks to Mesopotamia (vide para.
196 of the memorandum for October 1908)
made it desirable that the question of the
future navigation of the rivers of the country
for commercial purposes should be considered.
He enquired, for instance, whether it was within
the region of practical politics to raise the
question of the rights of British vessels, whether
owned by Messrs.Lynch or other British subjects;
or to increase the number of British vessels on
the rivers of Mesopotamia; or to use existing
vessels on the rivers, except between Baghdad
and Basrah ; or to hope for any new concessions
for vessels flying the British flag on Turkish
inland waters.
Assuming that the answer would he in the
negative, the Resident suggested the possibility
of coming to some arrangement with the
Turkish Government by which British
subjects could run steamers flying the Turkish
flag on the condition that such ships should
be considered Turkish soil. The owners would
consequently be considered Turkish subjects in
all matters that concerned them as owners of
the ships. This principle would be only
extended to ships intended for exclusive use in
the inland waters of Turkey. A similar status
was given to British subjects who owmed
immovable property in Turkey. Major
Ramsay presumed that other nations would be
entitled to equality of treatment, should such
be claimed. In the meantime, it would be a
great advantage if permission could be obtained
first for British subjects and some steamers
could be actually got on the river, before
foreign rivals had given the matter their
attention.
208. On the same date Major Ramsay
Visit of the Mir of informed His Majesty’s
Khairpurto Baghdad. Ambassador at Constan
tinople that His Highness the Mir of Khairpur,
a Native Chief of India, w ho was on his w ay
to Baghdad, had chartered the S. S. JBlosse
Lynch for his journey, and was anxious that
this vessel should take him to Khadimain, a
place on the Tigris five miles above Baghdad.
Major Ramsay sent his Dragoman to see if this
arrangement could be made, but the local
authorities, while anxious to give the Chief
every facility, hesitated to allow r one of Messrs.
Lynch’s steamers to go above Baghdad, unless
it* was expressly stated that it would not be
treated as a precedent. A satisfactory arrange
ment was subsequently arrived at ^however