ملف ١٩١٦/٣٥٧٩ "تركيا: مستقبل القسطنطينية" [و‎‎٤‎٤] (٥٣٠/٩٦)

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> ^ homeland of the Ottoman Turka. But vith-ut
debating that p dnt, ctill It o > io Turkey in
Eunp« their homeland, and therefore when he eprk^ of the homeland
with its capital, if he meant that the capital was in any way con
nected with the homeland, of course he was saying what was historic
^ally and ethnically inaccurate* What exactly he meant ky his state*
ment I do not recollect. I think that it 7 /a 3 made at a moment
when we were hoping to persuade the Turk to give in, and it was
considered desirable to say something somewhat reassuring to him.
A little later, in fact only a month or so ago, Lord Robert
Ceoil (he 7 /ill correct me if I am wrong) made a abatement in the
House of Commons in which the words, as I have them here, were as
follows. He said H A great deal is to be said for too ejection of
tho Turk from Constantinople; but do not forgot that Constantinople
is a predominatiy Turkish country."
LORD ROBERT CECIL: Yes.
THE CHAIRMAN: lust before you came into the room I ventured
to point out to bh£ Committee that that was inaccurate, bdoausc,
so far from it being a predominantly Turkish capital, only corty
per cent of the population are Turks themselves. Still they have
nearly one half.
LORD ROBERT CECIL: And of course they are very much larger
than any other single element.
THE CHAIRMAN: Yes; but they are only about equal to the Greeks
and the Arm nians.
LORD ROBERT CECIL: That is right.
THE CHAIRMAN: And be it remembered that out of the population
of Constantinople a large number, supposing that the Government
wort; moved, wonld drift over to Asia 7/ith the Turxs, because of
the officials and their families who have collected there and
battened upon the place for years but who hav; no necessary con
nection with Constantinople itself.
I do not think how. ver that in anything that has been said
hers there have: been words which commit us irretrievably upon
the matter, and even if th< y committed us they would not commit
our Allies, and I imagine that Mr. Balfour would agrte that at
the Allied Conference when it moots at Paris we have really a
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