711.679 Residence and Establishment/68

The Ambassador in Turkey (Grew) to the Secretary of State

No. 1268

Sir: In conformity with the Department’s instruction No. 320 of February 26, 1931, (file number 711.679 Residence and Establishment/58 [65]),2 I took up with the Minister for Foreign Affairs on May 7 the proposal which he himself had made to me in January, to the effect that if I would address to him a note or letter containing the statement made by me to Ismet Pasha at the time of the interruption of our negotiation for a Treaty of Residence and Establishment on November 27, 1930,3 he would endeavor to persuade his colleagues in the Cabinet to authorize the initialling of the text of a convention incorporating substantially the provisions which had been agreed to by both delegations prior to the suspension of the negotiations. I told the Minister that I had been authorized to furnish him with such a written statement and to initial such a text upon the distinct understanding that no publicity would be given to my action and upon the further understanding that at an opportune moment, probably early in the coming autumn, the Turkish Government would be prepared to proceed to final signature. The Minister expressed satisfaction at this conditional acceptance of his proposal and said that he would favorably support the proposal in taking it up with his colleagues.

Last evening I had a moment’s talk with him at the railroad station as he was on the point of departure from Ankara to attend at Geneva the meeting of the Commission of Study for the Pan-European Union. He said that he had taken up the treaty question with Ismet Pasha, Zekai Bey and Mustapha Cherif Bey and that on his return from Geneva he would suggest one or two minor changes in the text of the letter to be furnished him at the time of initialling.

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This may mean that his intransigent colleagues, Zekai Bey and Mustapha Cherif Bey, will insist upon incorporating in the letter some such provision concerning the alleged non-existence of treaty relations between the two countries with respect to establishment, residence and judicial competence as they endeavored to have included in the preamble of the convention during our past negotiations, perhaps along the lines of the formula proposed to me by Zekai Bey in our conversation on November 24, reported to the Department in my Ankara telegram No. 15 of November 25, noon.4 On the other hand, the desired changes mentioned by the Minister may possibly be merely minor modifications in the phraseology of the statement involving no substantial alteration. I believe it would be unwise for me to display any signs of eagerness by discussing the matter with the other officials during the absence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and I shall therefore await further word from Tevfik Rüştu Bey after his return, presumably in a few weeks, reporting to the Department in due course such observations as he then may make.

Respectfully yours,

Joseph C. Grew
  1. Not printed.
  2. See telegram No. 15, November 25, 1930, from the Ambassador in Turkey and Department’s No. 7, November 26, 1930, Foreign Relations, 1930, vol. iii, pp. 870, 872.
  3. Foreign Relations, 1930, vol. iii, p. 870.