'File 73/7 III (D 24) Status of Kuwait & Anglo-Turkish negotiations' [‎64r] (136/709)

(Received on the llth April 1913 with Political Secretary's letter No. 13, dated the 28th
March 1913.)
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA. [26th March.]
CONFIDENTIAL. Section 1.
12978
Kuwait Draft Agreement.
His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India, and His
Majesty the Sultan of Turkey, animated by the sincere desire to settle by
mutual agreement certain questions concerning their interests, have determined
to conclude agreements destined to prevent all cause of misunderstanding
between Great Britain and Turkey in regard to the questions referred to, and
have nominated for this purpose their respective plenipotentiaries, to wit:
»»«»«*»
Who, having communicated to each other their full powers, found in good
and due form, have agreed on the following :—
Agreement concerning Kuwait,
The Governments of Great Britain and Turkey being desirous of placing
beyond all doubt the status and limits of Kuwait and the adjacent territory,
as respectively defined in articles 6 and 7 of this agreement, and the relations
between the Shaikh of Kuwait and Turkey, and taking into consideration the
special interests of Great Britain in Kuwait, and the long-established relations
between Great Britain and the Shaikhs of Kuwait;
Have agreed upon the following articles :—
1. Great Britain and Turkey recognise Kuwait, as defined in article 4 of
this agreement, as an autonomous shaikhdom under the suzerainty of Turkey.
2. Great Britain and Turkey recognise the Shaikh of Kuwait as a
Turkish kaimakam.
3. Great Britain and Turkey recognise the right of the Shaikh of Kuwait
to exercise complete autonomy within the limits laid down in Article 4 of this
agreement. Turkey undertakes to abstain from any infringement of such
autonomy, and from any interference with the succession, internal administra
tion, or foreign relations of Kuwait.
4. Nothing in this agreement shall be taken to prevent Turkey from
appointing an agent at Kuwait.
5. For the purposes of articles 1 and 3 of this agreement the limits of
Kuwait are agreed to be a segment of a circle drawn with the centre of Kuwait
town as its centre and a radius extending from that point to the mid-channel
of the Khor Abdulla at its northernmost point between the island of Wfirba
and the mainland, to include Krain in the south, and to a point at a corres
ponding distance from the centre of Kuwait in the west. Within these limits
are also understood to be included the islands of Bubiyan, Mashian, Failakah,
Anhah, Kubbar, Karu, and Umm-al-Maradim, and the islets adjacent thereto.
6. Great Britain and Turkey recognise as subordinate to the Shaikh of
Kuwait the tribes within the territory defined in article 7 of this agreement.
The Shaikh of Kuwait shall continue to levy tithes from such tribes as at
present, and shall conduct such administration as may be necessary in his
capacity as Turkish kaimakam. Within the territory defined in article 7 of
this agreement Turkey undertakes not to set up any administration apart from
that of the Shaikh of'Kuwait, and not, without previous arrangement with
Great Britain, to station any garrisons nor take any military or other action.
7. The limits of the territory referred to in article 6 of this agreement are
agreed to be as follows: a line running north-west from the coast at the mouth
ot the Khor-es-Zubair up to and past but not including the walls of the tort at