Coll 17/5 'Iraq. Relations with Turkey' [‎11v] (22/24)

'I
could not dream of doing this, because they considered the treaty to be
an excellent thing, not only for Turkey, but for Iraq, and Tevfik Riistii
Bey indicated that, at a suitable moment, he would have articles inserted
in the Turkish press in a sense favourable to the treaty. Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
much appreciated this indication, for a favourable attitude towards J^e
treaty would be very valuable to him in Bagdad.
The Turks had asked Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. about Great Britain’s attitude
towards Turkey. They realised that Britain was coldly friendly towards
Turkey, but thought this did not get them very far. Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. pointed
out that it would, perhaps, be best for the Turks themselves to show real
signs of friendship, for the British were not of a nature to curry favour.
He gathered the impression that the Turks were still pretty well tied up
with Russia.
In his conversation, Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. had also referred to the Lawrence
reports and pointed out what absurd rubbish they were. He had himself
seen and talked with Colonel Lawrence in London, and the latter had
been most amused at hearing the reports. The Turks had replied that
they did not believe in the least in the Lawrence reports, which, at the
beginning, had emanated from French sources in the same way as the
first reports of Lawrence intrigues in Afghanistan had done eighteen
months ago. The Turks had a very definite impression that France was
doing her utmost to prevent any further development of friendly
relations between Turkey and Great Britain and Iraq.
4. When I saw the Minister for Foreign Affairs yesterday he at once expressed
his gratification at Nuri Pasha’s visit and said that he was quite satisfied as regards
the frontier and the Iraqi attitude towards the Kurds.
5. With respect to the oil question, his Excellency was clearly much perturbed
at the thought that the delay in exploiting the oil diminishes by so much the
twenty-five years during which Turkey is to receive her 10 per cent, of the profits.
Under the Treaty of Angora, it is, of course, the case that the twenty-five years
start from the coming into force of the treaty, but Tevfik Riistii certainly expected
exploitation to begin within a year or two of that date. I have had the advantage
of reading in your despatch No. 536 of the 1 st instant the very complete reply
returned to Ferit Bey, and I hope that it will soothe Tevfik Rustii’s fears, for I need
not dwell on the political disadvantage to our relations with Turkey of our seeming
to encourage Iraq in anything which the Turks will be all too ready to interpret as
a deliberate intention to put off as long as possible the day on which payments to
Turkey must start. The fact that, if the positions were reversed, this is just what
the Turks would do themselves will not affect the Turkish point of view.
I have, &c.
GEORGE R. CLERK.
P.S.—I have sent a copy of this despatch to the acting High Commissioner at
Bagdad.
G. R. C.