Treaty of Sèvres (1920); World War, 1914-1918 -- Territorial questions -- Turkey; World War, 1914-1918 -- Turkey
The chapter dealing with the protection of minorities plainly shows how
much influence the aforesaid Protestant Anglo-American movement had on
the wording of the treaty. In none of the four previous treaties are
included such stipulations as those contained in the Turkish treaty,
and there is a great difference in this respect between the Bulgarian
treaty and the Turkish treaty. The latter, under the term “minority,”
only considers the condition of the Christians, and ensures to them
privileges and power in every respect over the Mussulmans.
As the Permanent Committee of the Turkish Congress at Lausanne remarked
in its critical examination of the treaty:
“Whereas in the Bulgarian treaty freedom of conscience and religion
is guaranteed so far as is consistent with morality and order, this
clause does not occur in the Turkish treaty.
The Turkish treaty states that all interference with any religious
creed shall be punished in the same way; in the Bulgarian treaty
this clause is omitted, for here it would imply the protection of a
non-Christian religion.”
In regard to Article 139, that “Turkey renounces formally all right of
suzerainty or jurisdiction of any kind over Moslems who are subject
to the sovereignty or protectorate of any other State,” the Indian
Caliphate delegation raised an objection in a letter addressed to Mr.
Lloyd George, dated July 10, 1920:
“It is obvious that Turkey has, and could have, no ‘rights of
suzerainty or jurisdiction’ over Mussulmans who am not her
subjects; but it is equally obvious that the Sultan of Turkey, as
Khalifa, has, and must continue to have so long as he holds that
office, his very considerable ‘jurisdiction’ over Muslims who are
’subject to the sovereignty or protectorate of any other State.’
The law of Islam clearly prescribes the character and extent of the
‘jurisdiction’ pertaining to the office of Khalifa, and we cannot
but protest most emphatically against this indirect, but none the
less palpable, attempt on the part of Great Britain and her allies
to force on the Khalifa a surrender of such ‘jurisdiction,’ which
must involve the abdication of the Khalifa.”
The delegation also considered that Article 131, which lays down
that “Turkey definitely renounces all rights and privileges, which,
under the treaty of Lausanne of October 12, 1912, were left to the
Sultan in Libya,” infringes “rights pertaining to the Sultan as
Caliph, which had been specially safeguarded and reserved under the
said treaty of Lausanne.” It also expressed its surprise that “this
categorical and inalienable requirement of the Muslim Faith, supported
as it is by the unbroken practice of over thirteen hundred years, was
totally disregarded by Articles 94 to 97 of the Peace Treaty, read
in conjunction with Articles 22 and 132,” which cannot admit of any
non-Muslim sovereignty over the Jazirat-ul-Arab, including Syria,
Palestine, and Mesopotamia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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