Page 629 - Mastermind: The Truth of the British Deep State Revealed

Adnan Harun Yahya

For this reason, Mustafa Kemal strictly instructed the delegation that
went to Lausanne that there could be no compromise on capitulations.

Of course, European countries were preparing to reinstate the capitula-

tions at Lausanne. That's why the new Turkish Republic was well prepared
to deal with the issue without any compromise of its independence. Yet once

again Britain, the only country that didn't recognize the independence of the
new Turkish Republic, proved the biggest obstacle.

On the Way to Lausanne

The instruction given to the national delegation headed to Lausanne was
brief and concise: 'Capitulations can never be accepted. If necessary, we can

walk out of the negotiations.' 430

In fact, everyone knew that immense difficulties would arise in reaching

a solution in this matter. Many countries, present or not present at the con-
ference, had a stake in the continuance of the said privileges. Furthermore,

the Western world had been used to these privileges for at least 400 years and
all mutual relations were based on them. Therefore, other countries, as they

reached an agreement on the subject, wanted the concessions to continue,
which made the prospect of completely abolishing the capitulations at Lau-

sanne especially difficult.

İsmet Pasha, the head of the Turkish delegation, was aware of the prob-

lem and said, "All the Allies and the US were against us in this matter. But we
considered it one of our most crucial issues." 431

A Tug of War

On November 27, 1922, the Finance and Economic Affairs Commission
convened to discuss the capitulations and İsmet Pasha demanded that all the

limitations that hindered the economic independence of Turkey be removed.
He explained that a country cannot be independent with capitulations and

that the situation of the foreigners in Turkey were already guaranteed with
general laws that were in place as is the case in all civilized and independent

countries, and that Turkish delegation would only accept being in a com-
mission in line with these principles. 432