Summary
In the King-Crane Commission Report’s Section Three, the continued Turkish State in Anatolia is the third of the three proposed states, alongside a separate Armenia and an international Constantinopolitan State: Anatolia, the bulk of the remaining Asia Minor after those two separations, is to be left for a Turkish State guarding minority rights, under a Mandatary, and included with the other two in a general single mandate for Asia Minor asked of the United States (Report of the American Section of the Inter-Allied Commission on Mandates in Turkey, lines 6409-6908, 7409-7670).
Details
- Extent and population: applying national unity and self-determination to the Turks, Anatolia — larger than France, with ample sea outlets — should be left for the Turkish State. Its population is put at approximately ten millions: some eight millions Moslems, about seven millions of them Turks, and one and one-half millions Greeks. Smaller racial groups may transfer, if they choose, to Syria or Mesopotamia, or get local autonomy (lines 6409-6908 approx.).
- Reasons for a mandate for the Turkish State: genuinely good government without oppression, bribery or corruption; a guarantee of the rights of all minorities; delivery from the demoralisation of incessant outside intrigue; economic development and independence without selfish exploitation by the Mandatary or any other outside Power; disbandment of most of the Turkish Army and abolition of military conscription, with a well-organised gendarmerie for the larger police duties; a national system of universal education; and steady training of the peoples of the State into self-government — a state of equal rights to all before the law and of full religious liberty, not purely, though predominantly, Turkish in race and control, and cosmopolitan in that all its racial stocks share representatively in its government (lines 6409-6908 approx.).
- The desire for an American mandate: decisive evidence is held difficult to get, since the Peace Conference had not declared that Turkey must herself have a mandate and free expression was not allowed, but many indications are said to confirm that the great majority of thoughtful Turkish leaders sincerely desire an American mandate — the evidence cited includes a trustworthy university-trained Turkish journalist, a second journalist, delegations meeting the Commission, a delegation of intellectual women leaders, the Smyrna congress delegates representing 1,800,000 people, and the expected declaration of the Sivas Congress of 20 August; it is held highly probable that a large majority of Turks wishing a mandate at all would favour the American one (lines 6909-7408 approx.).
- Territorial conditions in Anatolia: after the Arabic-speaking areas, Armenia and the Constantinopolitan State are set off, a large territory remains whose greatest single element is Turkish. Of the claims to separate portions of it, only Kurdistan is held advisable to handle separately at present; Pontus is refused, Cilicia and the Albistan-Malatia-Kharput region stay with Anatolia at present, Italy’s Adalia claim is rejected, and no separate Greek region is advised for Smyrna and the west, the maximum being a single mandate for all Anatolia with special protection in the west and possibly a limited locally autonomous Greek area. A trial of Greek life in the Turkish State under the new conditions — a modern constitution, the Mandatary’s watch, League supervision and a right of appeal — is prescribed before any separate Greek territory is set off (lines 6909-7408 approx.).
- A single Mandatary for the three states: a mandate for Anatolia is argued on the need of supervision over finance, public works, education, internal order and all government processes, hardly less for the Turks than for Armenians, Syrians and Mesopotamians; and separate mandates for Armenia, Anatolia and Constantinople held by one great power are argued on nine grounds, among them centuries of ties, unity of economic control, repatriation and population exchange, the public debt, railroads, police and brigandage, the elimination of friction between three mandataries, and readier Turkish acceptance (lines 6909-7408 approx.).
- The recommendations: Section Three recommends the appointment of a Mandatary for the continued Turkish State, in line with the apparent wishes of the majority of the Turkish people, its major terms defined by the Peace Conference and the League; boundary commissions to define the boundaries of the three states; and a general single mandate for the whole of Asia Minor, including the mandates for Armenia, the Constantinopolitan State and the continued Turkish State, each with its own governor under a governor-general, asked of the United States. The conditions stated for America taking that composite mandate include that she is really wanted by the Turkish people, that Turkey gives evidence of readiness to do justice to the Armenians and to become a modern constitutional state and abolish military conscription, and that all plans for cutting up Turkey into spheres of influence and exploitation areas are abandoned (lines 6909-7670 approx.).
Related pages
Report of the American Section of the Inter-Allied Commission on Mandates in Turkey, King-Crane Commission, Armenia, Constantinopolitan State, Kurdistan, League of Nations