'Sheikh Said. Memorandum in Continuation of Departmental Memorandum of 7th March 1893. (With Sketch Map.)' [‎9r] (7/10)

M. Deloncle had advised the French Government to occupy and
fortify Sheikh Said, situated at the entrance of the Red Sea.
“ Rustem Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. also communicated information which he had
received from the Foreign Office, showing the reservations which
from time to time the Ottoman Government had made in regard
to their rights to the territory in question.
“ These reservations were made in September 1869, June 1870,
December 1871, the spring of 1882 and November 1891.
“ 2. The Sublime Porte, under date of 21st March 1893, com
municated to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs a report from the
Seraskierat (Ministry of War), showing that Sheikh Said forms
one of the nine cantons near the territory of Djihi opposite the
island of Perira. The report stated that "some years ago fortifi
cations were erected there, and a garrison placed there taken from
the 4th battalion of the 52nd regiment of the 7th Corps d’Armee.
“ This battalion is quartered in the neighbourhood of Taaz
and Bab-el-Mandeb. Several houses for boatmen and fishermen
were also constructed at Sheikh Said, as well as a telegraph
station.
“ 3. On the 1st May 1893 the Ottoman Government inquired
of Essad Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , Ottoman Ambassador at Paris, what had taken
place in the Chamber of Deputies. The information given by
the Seraskierat was also sent to Essad Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , with the observation
that Sheikh Said had for some years past been occupied admin
istratively and militarily by the Ottoman authorities.
“ The Porte invited Essad Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. to renew, if the occasion
arose, to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the reservations of the
Ottoman Government, and to refer to the previous steps taken by
them on the subject.
“ 4. On the 10th May 1893 Essad Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. replied that since the
abortive attempt made in 1885 by the French gunboat ‘Brandon’
to seize Sheikh Said, no fresh incident had occurred in respect to
that locality beyond some newspaper articles of no official
character, and the false report circulated in 1891 that the place
had been ceded to France, a report which was contradicted at
the time by the French Government. Essad Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. added that
the speech of M. Deloncle in the Chamber in February had not
been replied to by the Government, and that there was every
reason to believe that the French Government would not renew
the question if Turkey continued to maintain a garrison at Sheikh
Said.
“ 5. On the 17th May 1893 the Sublime Porte transmitted to
Essad Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. full details as to Sheikh Said, with a map showing
the topography and administrative division of the territory, with
instructions to the Ambassador to be guided by these documents
in any representations he might hereafter have to make to the
French Government.”
French Government evade
recognition of Sheikh Said as
Turkish territory.
Vol. 139, page 1065.
Letter from Foreign Office, dated 6th June
1893.
10. However, the Turkish Government did not
succeed in obtaining a formal recognition from the
French Government that Sheikh Said forms a part
of the Ottoman Dominions. Essad Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. spoke to
the French Minister for Foreign Affairs on the
subject, hut received only vague replies from His
Excellency, who asserted that he knew nothing of
the matter, and must study the question before
giving an answer to the Sublime Porte, and Essad
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. suggested that the moment was not oppor
tune for endeavouring to obtain any written
assurance from the French Government in the
sense desired by the Sublime Porte.
Letter from Foreign Office, 21st
1894 H. G, 320.
March 11. This attitude of reserve on the part of the
French Government appears to have been main
tained. In 1894 Sir P. Currie reported that the
Turkish delegate at the Paris Sanitary Con
ference was instructed to propose the establishment
of a lazaretto at Sheikh Said ; that he sounded the
French, who discouraged the idea, on the ground
that the territory was in dispute.
S. 14. B