" ملف رقم ١٣٥٦ لسنة ١٩١٢ الجزء ٢ "الحدود التركية-الفارسية:- مفاوضات في القسطنطينية. (حدود المحمرة)" [و‎‎١‎٦‎٣] (٦٨٠/٣٣٤)

CONFIDENTIAL.
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Sir Edward Grey to Sir G. Lowther (Constantinople).
(No. 220.) R. Foreign Office, May 21, 1913, 6*45 p.m.
YOUR Excellency’s despatches Nos. 271, 352, and 360.
Hakki Pasha stated to-day that, having himself been the first to recommend to
the Grand Vizier the procedure of direct negotiation with Great Britain and Russia
on the Turco-Persian question, he had now been asked by his Highness for his
observations and advice regarding the line proposed by your Excellency and the
Russian Ambassador for the Zohab region. He said he was sincerely anxious to reach
a final settlement, and he therefore proposed to telegraph advising the Grand Vizier
that he should offer, as an equitable compromise, to accept the Turkish line down to
a point about 4 miles below Mount Sengler (where the Turkish and Anglo-Russian
lines converge), and, as regards the line thence to the south, the proposed Anglo-
Russian line, with the sole proviso as to this portion of the frontier that, while it should
be accepted as the recognised basis of settlement, it should be subject to such minor
rectifications as might be recommended by the Commission of Demarcation ; and he
further said that he trusted that Russian and British officers would be attached to the
commission, and accompany it along the whole frontier from Mount Ararat to the
Persian Gulf.
His Excellency seemed anxious to know how this compromise would be viewed
here. He was informed that, since the negotiations were being conducted at Con
stantinople, it would be preferable to avoid any expression of opinion here as to its
merits, but that no harm could be done by making the suggestion at Constantinople.
Hakki Pasha then urged very strongly that the compromise might be favourably
considered ; it was, he said, very moderate, and it represented the abandonment of
very considerable Turkish claims and a genuine effort to reach a final settlement of
the whole frontier question.
I think, for this reason, that it would be prudent to adopt this compromise, as it
merely involves making the concession to Turkey which your Excellency and your
Russian colleague have, I believe, considered possible in the last resort. You should
furnish Russian Ambassador with a copy of this telegram and discuss the subject
fully with him.
The need for an early settlement was again impressed on Hakki Pasha.
(Repeated to St. Petersburgh, No. 417.)
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