ملف ٣٨٧٧ لسنة ١٩١٢، الجزء ٣، "تركيا الآسيوية: الامتيازات النفطية" [و‎‎٢‎٦‎٣] (٣٧٢/٢٩١)

CONFIDENTIAL
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>'?> L. Mallet to Sir Edward Grey.—(Ueceived April 24, 10*30 p.m.)
Constantinople, April 24, 1914.
(No. 257.) (Apr-a 24, 8 p.m.)
YOUR telegram No. [? 209]
As D’Arcy’s application and our support were based on the argument that the
German contract was annulled—a position which we and the Turkish Government have
consistently upheld for years past—we should completely stultify ourselves by
suggesting or recommending course favoured by the Deutsche Bank, and it might even
be dangerous to do so.
The German Embassy are constantly referring to their rights under this contract
of 1904, but I have always replied by reminding them that His Majesty’s Government
and the Porte consider that the 1904 contract has lapsed and that the promise to D’Arcy
holds the held.
In any case the concession to the Turkish Petroleum Company could not be based
on the German contract and on the promise to D’Arcy as Greenway recommends.
It must be remembered that the concession was originally given to the Civil List,
who contracted to work it with the Germans in [? 1904]. This contract was, however,
annulled in two notes from the Civil List in 190/. It was then promised to D Arcy.
In 1908 the concession, which still existed as such, was transferred to the Ministry
of Finance, who own it to-day, so that the natural procedure would be to transfer it
bodily to the Turkish Petroleum Company. This would be a fair compromise for the
Deutsche Bank to accept, if the Turkish proposal be found impracticable. 1 did,
indeed, suggest it to the Grand Vizier, but he argued that the concession had been
illegal throughout, and that, in order to avoid complications with other countries, they
must work according to the Mining Law. If, however, they really work under the
Mining Law, they cannot legally avoid revival of old “ permis de recherche such as
Tahsin Pasha’s, in which Muriettas were interested ; nor can they refuse Grand \ izier s
“ permis ” to other applicants. I have pointed this out to the Grand V izier more than
once, and his answers have not been altogether satisfactoiy. . . .
German Charge d’Affaires has, however, suggested that a secret undertaking
should be given not to grant “permis ” to other companies, and in any case we have
agreed to await the communication of a promised list of Government wells ™a>
move to be extensive. In the meantime I think it will be better not to commit
ourselves to any particular course, nor will it be possible to [? push] the matter
through in a great hurry.