Department of State,
Washington, December 11,
1906.
No. 93.]
[Inclosure.]
Department of State,
Washington, ———,
———.
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter, dated , in relation to the desire of to obtain release
from assessment for personal taxes in Turkey.
In reply I have the honor to inform you that under the Turkish law of
January 19, 1869, Ottoman subjects leaving Turkey subsequent to that
time without the consent of the Sultan are regarded and treated by
the Turkish Government as Ottoman subjects, even though they may
have acquired a foreign allegiance. It will thus be seen that Turkey
does not hold to the doctrine of
[Page 1405]
voluntary expatriation, and hence, having
entered into no treaty of naturalization with the United States,
does not recognize the citizenship in this country of former
subjects who were naturalized after 1869 without the consent of the
Sultan. That consent and release from personal taxation can be
obtained by Mr. only by petition to His Majesty, through , the
minister of Turkey to the United States, whose address is , this
city. The petition, duly sworn to, should be mailed directly to the
minister, and not through this department. It should set forth the
facts of the case and the circumstances under which the petitioner
left his native land, and should pray the Sultan to grant permission
to him to become an American citizen and to release him from
personal taxation.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
——— ———,
Assistant
Secretary.
