Skip to item: of 576
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Coll 6/81 'Syria: Status of Alexandretta and Antioch.' [‎165r] (330/576)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 file (286 folios). It was created in 17 Sep 1936-31 Aug 1939. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government, and should be returned
to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]
Decode. Sir P. Loraine (A
D. 1.40 p.m.
R. 3.15 p.m*
11th January, 1937.
11th January, 1937.
No. 21. (R).
My telegram No. 6 .
In a further address to the People’s Party on January 9th
Minister for Foreign Affairs announced action of Quai d*Orsay
and postponement of meeting of Council of the League recorded in
my telegram No. 20 adding that proposals put forward by the Turkish
Government at 'recent^meeting in Paris would, at the request of the
French Government, shortly be forwarded to Paris in a more
detailed form.
Minister for Foreign Affairs then spoke of the interest shown
in question by Turkey’s friends, the Balkan countries, the b.S.S.R
and Great Britain and summing up declared that while there was no
serious indication to enable him to foresee outcome of the dispute
he wished to emphasise tendency noticeable in France to examine t e
question seriously and to reach a result quickly. It was his duty
therefore to advise his hearers to await calmly result of further
discussions.
The Prime Minister also spoke in support of the Minister for
Foreign Affair's remarks and stated that since the League could
take no decision without Turkish concurrence a direct understanding
between the two countries seumed the only course to be followed.
Text by post.

About this item

Content

This file documents the British response to developments regarding the status of the Sanjak [administrative district, referred to in Arabic as Liwa] of Alexandretta, including the cities of Alexandretta [İskenderun, Turkey] and Antioch [Antakya, Turkey].

The file features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Ambassador, Istanbul (Sir Percy Loraine, succeeded by Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen); His Majesty's Ambassador, Bagdad [Baghdad] (Sir Archibald Clark Kerr, succeeded by Sir Maurice Drummond Peterson); His Majesty's Ambassador, Paris (Sir George Russell Clerk, succeeded by Sir Eric Phipps); the British Consul, Aleppo (Archibald William Davis); the British Consul, Damascus (Gilbert MacKereth); His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Reader William Bullard); the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Anthony Eden); officials of the Foreign Office.

The correspondence includes discussion of the following:

  • The demography of the Sanjak of Alexandretta.
  • Turkey's claim for the Sanjak to be given autonomy.
  • The progression of Franco-Turkish negotiations, brokered by the League of Nations and resulting in the Sanjak's new autonomous status (in its internal affairs only), as granted in a League of Nations statute, concluded in January 1937 and brought into force on 29 November 1937.
  • Reports of both Arab and Turkish demonstrations in Alexandretta and Antioch during January 1937 (as well as Arab demonstrations in Aleppo).
  • Pressure from Syria and Iraq for the Sanjak to be partitioned between Syria and Turkey.
  • The reported registration of non-Turkish electors in the Sanjak as Turks.
  • Reported divisions in the Syrian Nationalist Government.
  • The conclusion of a treaty of friendship between France and Turkey in July 1938.
  • The announcement in September 1938 that the Sanjak of Alexandretta will in future be known as the Republic of Hatay, with Antioch as its capital.
  • The Franco-Turkish agreement regarding the change of status of Hatay to that of a Turkish province, concluded in June 1939.

The French language material in the file consists of several items of correspondence, plus copies of the aforementioned Franco-Turkish agreement (dated 23 June 1939) and the Turco-French treaty (dated 4 July 1938).

The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (folios 2-3).

Extent and format
1 file (286 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 287; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Coll 6/81 'Syria: Status of Alexandretta and Antioch.' [‎165r] (330/576), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2154, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100049233825.0x000085> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100049233825.0x000085">Coll 6/81 'Syria: Status of Alexandretta and Antioch.' [&lrm;165r] (330/576)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100049233825.0x000085">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x0002b4/IOR_L_PS_12_2154_0332.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x0002b4/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image