Page 16 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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6 Records of Bahrain
83
CHAPTER XXXIII.

Various acts of Turkish Assertion of Sovereignty over Bahrein,
1892-93.
209. In the year 1892-93, we find the Turks were very active in asserting
their claim to sovereignty over Bahrein. We shall note here the several instances
in which this was done.
In December 1892, information reached the British Consul at Basrah
300.
(0 Apptehendad Turkish attack on Bahrein, that the Porte had ordered the Vali to
December 189J. consider Bahrein as Turkish territory. The
No. 317 of Secret B., May 1893, N01. 207-aOi. Vali was at or near Hasa at the time with
500 troops. The Political Agent apprehending the landing of Turkish troops
informed the Senior Naval officer that he should take action to prevent the
landing of Turkish troops. The Government of India in telegraphing the facts
to the Secretary of State on 6th December referred to Lord Cross’s telegram of
January 1888, and proposed to approve of this action of the Political Resident.
301. The action of the Resident was duly approved by Her Majesty’s No«. 318 and
Government, and Lord Rosebury also in- 94‘*
Secret E., May 1893 No*. 307-381.
structed Sir F. C. Ford to express to the
Porte the hope that the report was without foundation and if necessary to state
that Her Majesty's ships will oppose any attempt to land troops.
302. On the 9th of December 1892 the Turkish Ambassador made a comp­
(a) Turkish complaint against alleged Drilish laint to the Foreign Office, the purport of ✓
excluding free commercial intercourse of other which W3S 3S follows !~*
nations with Bahrein, December 1893.
His Excellency stated that the maintenance of friendly and commercial relations between
the Turkish Coast on that Gulf and.the ports
No. 331 of Seciet.E., May 1893, Nos. 307-361.
of Arabia between Oman aud Bahrein was a
matter of great difficulty owing to the attitude of the local Sheikhs, and that this was said
to be due to the fact that the Uritish officials in tho*e parts, on the strength of Conventions
concluded at one time between the British Government and the predecessors of these
Chiefs with a view to the prevention of the slave trade, had exacted pledges from them not
to enter into relations with the subjects of any other Power nor to allow their boats to
ply on the coasts in question.
303. This was communicated to the India Office, and the following letter No. $$.
dated 30th December 1892 expresses the views of Earl of Kimberley on the
matter:—
“ In reply, I am desired to call attention to Sir H. Walpole’s letter of the 30th June
1891, which forwarded copies of the new agreements entered into by the six trucial Chiefs
on the pirate Coast of the Persian Gulf, and by the Chief of Bahrein with the British
Government. It will be seen that by the second article of these engagements the signato­
ries have engaged that without the assent of the British Government, they will not consent
to the residence within their territories of the Agent of any other Government, but this
atipulation doe« not debar them from having commercial dealings with the Turkish Govern­
ment or any other Power.
In August 1891, Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Constantinople communicated to the
Sublime Pcrte a copy of the Convention with these Trucial Chiefs known as the Maritime
J rucc of 1853. Lord Kimberly, however, would not recommend that the new engage­
ments above mentioned should be communicated to the Turkish Government, but would
*uggcst that the lurkish Ambassador should be informed in general terms that the nature
of our engagements with the Trucial Chiefs does hot debar the subject of the Porte from
entering into commercial relations with the tribes on the Arabian Coast subject to these
Chiefs."
304. The reply given by Lord Rosebury to the Turkish Ambassador was
that the engagements entered into between Her Majesty's Government and the
Chiefs in question are not of a nature to preclude the subjects of the Porte from
having commercial relations with the tribes subject to those Chiefs."
305. In January we received the following telegram, dated the 10th January
(3) Turkish flag forced on Bahrain'** boats, *893 from the Political Resident, Bushire.
Janaary 1893.
No. 333 ol Secret E., May 1893, Nos. 307.361.
" Sheikh, Bahrein, writing 8lh, reported having heard that two days previously Kaim-
makam, Katif, ordered proclamation there of reversion of Bahrein and Oman to Ottoman