Papers written by Curzon on the Near and Middle East [‎92r] (183/348)

After the Supreme Council have reached agreement on the main modifications
of the Treaty of Sevres to be proposed to both sides the Greeks and Turks miglit
then be invited to attend, the invitation to Angora again being made throug e
Turkish Government at Constantinople. The latter point might perhaps be waived
if necessary to ensure Kemalist acceptance of the invitation. ,
Mr. Churchill in his recent memorandum to the Cabinet has proposed that the
Allied terms when agreed upon should, if necessary, be enforced by the Allied owers
by blockade or by assistance to one side or the other, in order to assure t a e
unreasonable party be brought to heel. It seems impossible to come to a decision
on this point until there has been another Allied discussion and fuendly mecia ion
has again been tried. Even then it can hardly be contemplated, unless t ic s
are intolerably unreasonable, that we should assist Kemalist Turkey agams
Greece. It is difficult to overlook the fact that the Kemalists aie the actua , 1 , no^
the legal, successors of the Turkish Government which waged a h\e yeais wai
against us, that the Greeks were our Allies until recently, and that they fought
for, and the Kemalists against, the Treaty which was signed by all the A11 ^ es a
year ago, and, lastly, that the Kemalists have shown continual and nttei os i i y
to us ever since the London Conference. The Kemalists may generally wish, 01 a
any rate circumstances may now make them ready, to change this atti ut e i
favourable terms are offered them, but time alone can show their good tai . n Y
a hopelessly intractable attitude on the part of the Greeks won , ere ore,
seem to justify our forcing our terms on the latter by help to t ic ema s *
There are stronger grounds, already indicated, for enforcing our term* on the
Kemalists, if they are unreasonable, but such a policy would require a change of
French and Italian opinion, for which it is difficult to hope. In the circumstances
it would seem better not to consider at this stage any form of forcible mediation.
It will be seen, therefore, that I endorse the plea for an early handling of the
case, and this plea is undoubtedly strengthened by the fears so naturally expressed
by Mr. Churchill that a failure to come to terms with the Turks maygia\eiy
prejudice the situation in Mesopotamia, the burden of which he has nndeitaken
with so much courage, but where the balance may easily be deflected to
etri On the other hand, Mr. Montagu’s complaint that by the attitude of the
Foreign Office we are prevented from exercising any influence at Angora, that we
can conceive of nothing but official representation there, and that the consequences
of our apathy are disastrous, seems to me quite unfounded.
We have lost no opportunity presented to us of getting into touch with
Mustapha Kemal and of ascertaining his views. We received Bekir Sami Bey
when he came as the official representative of the Kemalist Government to Londo
last year, and we made proposals and concluded agreements with nm w nc i ^®
ignominously and, in the case of our prisoners, most dishonomab } nown °' el Y
Mustapha Kemal when his delegation returned to Angora As regards our
prisoners, Mustapha Kemal not merely broke this engagement, but has treated our
prisoners, including officers of high distinction, with great indignity, ultimately
forcing us, in order to extricate them before the forthcoming winter, to conclude (
bargain against which the Commander-in-chief at Malta has just protested as
deplorable and humiliating. . . 4 -
Nevertheless, when Mustapha Kemal showed an inclination to be biouglit
personally into touch with us last July through General Harmgton, we at once
gave authority to the latter to proceed. Nothing came of it because Mustapha
Kemal sought to attach the acceptance of his extreme political claims as
condition to discussion. . ^ i 1 4 . 1 ^,.^
Mustapha Kemal can let us know his view's any day that he pleases tlno g
his personal friend and former colleague, Izzet Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , now Foreign Minister at
Constantinople, or through his liaison officer there, Hamid Bey, with both of whom
our High Commissioner is in constant contact. He has othei emissanes
Europe: Dr. Nihad Rechad, Jami Bey and Bekir Sami, who can approach us w icn-
No private person has been stopped or dissuaded from going to Angora except
General Townshend, whose qualifications were not considered suitable. As
regards the unofficial representatives of our Allies, I cannot think that then
reception and experience there have been particularly encouraging. 0111 c ,
gained nothing whatever by his prolonged flirtation with Mustapha Kemal ei cep
the final refusal of the latter to receive the Italian representative, Signor Tuozzi,
at all. The French first tried to come to terms with Mustapha Kemal througl