Chargé Jay to the Secretary of State.
Constantinople, July 2, 1906.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the department’s No. 1099, of the 9th ultimo, in regard to the proper channels of authentication of powers of attorney in Turkey.
In reply, I beg to state that powers of attorney intended to be used in the Turkish courts of justice or in any of the Ottoman administrative departments have to be drawn up and certified by the competent “shéri” authorities or to be certified by a notary public attached to an Ottoman nizami court. The only exception of which I am aware is the case where a foreign subject gives power to be used in a Turkish nizami court, in which case the signature of such foreigner may be certified by his consul, and even in that case some of the courts will not accept the instrument unless the consul’s official seal is legalized by the Ottoman foreign office. Ecclesiastical authorities therefore have been instructed not to legalize such documents, and if they do the Turkish authorities look on the instrument so legalized as not legalized at all.
If, however, such an instrument is to be used outside of Turkey or in a foreign consulate or consular court in Turkey, then it seems to me that it is for the authorities that use the instrument to decide how and by whom they shall be certified.
I have, etc.,