16-May-1916 : Sykes Picot Agreement

Letters Exchange

Sykes Picot Agreement

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16-May-1916

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Letter 1: From Sir Edward Grey To Paul Cambon May 16, 1916

I shall have the honor to reply fully in a further note to your

excellency's note of the 9th instant, relative to the creation

of an Arab state, but i should meanwhile be grateful if your

excellence could assure me that in those regions which, under

the conditions recorded in that communication, become entirely

french, or in which french interests are recognized as

predominant, any existing British concessions, rights of

navigation or development, and the rights and privileges of any

British religious, scholastic, or medical institutions will be

maintained. His majesty's government are, of course, ready to

give a reciprocal assurance in regard to the British area. Sir

Edward Grey

Letter 2: From Sir Edward Grey To Paul Cambon May 16, 1916

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your

excellency's note of the 9th instant, stating that the french

government accept the limits of a future Arab state, or

confederation of states, and of those parts of Syria where

french interests predominate, together with certain conditions

attached thereto, such as they result from recent discussions

in London and petrograd on the subject. I have the honor to

inform your excellency in reply that the acceptance of the

whole project, as it now stands, will involve the abdication of

considerable British interests, but, since his majesty's

government recognize the advantage to the general cause of the

allies entailed in producing a more favorable internal

political situation in turkey, they are ready to accept the

arrangement now arrived at, provided that the co-operation of

the Arabs is secured, and that the Arabs fulfill the conditions

and obtain the towns of homs, hama, damascus and aleppo. It is

accordingly understood between the french and British

governments:

1. That France and great Britain are prepared to recognize and

protect an independent Arab states or a confederation of Arab

states (a) and (b) marked on the annexed map, under the

suzerainty of an Arab chief. That in area (a) France, and in

area (b) great Britain, shall have priority of right of

enterprise and local loans. That in area (a) France, and in

area (b) great Britain, shall alone supply advisers or foreign

functionaries at the request of the Arab state or confederation

of Arab states.

2. That in the blue area France, and in the red area great

Britain, shall be allowed to establish such direct or indirect

administration or control as they desire and as they may think

fit to arrange with the Arab state or confederation of Arab

states.

3. That in the brown area there shall be established an

international administration, the form of which is to be

decided upon after consultation with Russia, and subsequently

in consultation with the other allies, and the representatives

of the sheriff of mecca.

4. That great Britain be accorded (1) the ports of Haifa and

acre, (2) guarantee of a given supply of water from the tigres

and euphrates in area (a) for area (b). His majesty's

government, on their part, undertake that they will at no time

enter into negotiations for the cession of Cyprus to any third

power without the previous consent of the french government.

5. That Alexandretta shall be a free port as regards the trade

of the British empire, and that there shall be no

discrimination in port charges or facilities as regards British

shipping and British goods; that there shall be freedom of

transit for British goods through Alexandretta and by railway

through the blue area, or (b) area, or area (a); and there

shall be no discrimination, direct or indirect, against British

goods on any railway or against British goods or ships at any

port serving the areas mentioned.

6. That Haifa shall be a free port as regards the trade of

France, her dominions and protectorates, and there shall be no

discrimination in port charges or facilities as regards french

shipping and french goods. There shall be freedom of transit

for french goods through Haifa and by the British railway

through the brown area, whether those goods are intended for or

originate in the blue area, area (a), or area (b), and there

shall be no discrimination, direct or indirect, against french

goods on any railway, or against french goods or ships at any

port serving the areas mentioned.

7. That in area (a) the Bagdad railway shall not be extended

southwards beyond Mosul, and in area (b) northwards beyond

Samarra, until a railway connecting Bagdad and aleppo via the

euphrates valley has been completed, and then only with the

concurrence of the two governments.

8. That great Britain has the right to build, administer, and

be sole owner of a railway connecting Haifa with area (b), and

shall have a perpetual right to transport troops along such a

line at all times. It is to be understood by both governments

that this railway is to facilitate the connection of Bagdad

with Haifa by rail, and it is further understood that, if the

engineering difficulties and expense entailed by keeping this

connecting line in the brown area only make the project

unfeasible, that the french government shall be prepared to

consider that the line in question may also traverse the Polgon

Banias Keis Marib Salkhad tell Otsda Mesmie before reaching

area (b).

9. For a period of twenty years the existing Turkish customs

tariff shall remain in force throughout the whole of the blue

and red areas, as well as in areas (a) and (b), and no increase

in the rates of duty or conversions from ad valorem to specific

rates shall be made except by agreement between the two powers.

10. There shall be no interior customs barriers between any of

the above mentioned areas. The customs duties leviable on goods

destined for the interior shall be collected at the port of

entry and handed over to the administration of the area of

destination.

11. It shall be agreed that the french government will at no

time enter into any negotiations for the cession of their

rights and will not cede such rights in the blue area to any

third power, except the Arab state or confederation of Arab

states, without the previous agreement of his majesty's

government, who, on their part, will give a similar undertaking

to the french government regarding the red area.

12. The British and french government, as the protectors of the

Arab state, shall agree that they will not themselves acquire

and will not consent to a third power acquiring territorial

possessions in the Arabian peninsula, nor consent to a third

power installing a naval base either on the east coast, or on

the islands, of the red sea. This, however, shall not prevent

such adjustment of the Aden frontier as may be necessary in

consequence of recent Turkish aggression.

13. The negotiations with the Arabs as to the boundaries of the

Arab states shall be continued through the same channel as

heretofore on behalf of the two powers.

14. It is agreed that measures to control the importation of

arms into the Arab territories will be considered by the two

governments.

I have further the honor to state that, in order to make the

agreement complete, his majesty's government are proposing to

the Russian government to exchange notes analogous to those

exchanged by the latter and your excellency's government on the

26th April last. Copies of these notes will be communicated to

your excellency as soon as exchanged. I would also venture to

remind your excellency that the conclusion of the present

agreement raises, for practical consideration, the question of

claims of Italy to a share in any partition or rearrangement of

turkey in Asia, as formulated in article 9 of the agreement of

the 26th April, 1915, between Italy nd the allies. His

majesty's government further consider that the Japanese

government should be informed of the arrangements now

concluded. Sir Edward Grey

Letter 1: From Sir Edward Grey To Count Benckendorff

May 10/23, 1916

I have received from the french ambassador in London copies of

the notes exchanged between the Russian and french governments

on the 26th ultimo, by which your excllency's government

recognize, subject to certain conditions, the arrangement made

between great Britain and France, relative to the constitution

of an Arab state or a confederation of Arab states, and to the

partition of the territories os Syria, Cilicia, and

Mesopotamia, provided that the co-operation of the Arabs is

secured. His majesty's government take act with satisfaction

that your excellency's government concur in the limits set

forth in that arrangement, and i have now the honor to inform

your excellency that his majesty's government, on their part,

in order to make the arrangement complete, are also prepared to

recognize the conditions formulated by the Russian government

and accepted by the french government in the notes exchanged at

petrograd on the 26th ultimo. In so far, then, as these

arrangements directly affect the relations of Russia and great

Britain, i have the honor to invite the acquiescence of your

excellency's government in an agreement on the following terms:

1. That Russia shall annex the regions of Erzeroum, Trebizond,

van, and Bitlis, up to a point subsequently to be determined on

the littoral of the black sea to the west of Trebizond.

2. That the region of Kurdistan to the south of van and of

Bitlis between Mush, Sert, the course of the Tigris, Jezireh

Ben Omar, the crest line of the mountains which dominate

Amadia, and the region or Merga Var, shall be ceded to Russia;

and that starting from the region of Merga Var, the frontier of

the Arab state shall follow the crest line of the mountains

which at present divide the ottoman and Persian dominions,

these boundaries are indicated in a general manner and are

subject to modifications of detail to be proposed later by the

delimitation commission which shall meet on the spot.

3. That the Russian government undertake that, in all parts of

the ottoman territories thus ceded to Russia, and concessions

accorded to British subjects by the ottoman government shall be

maintained, if the Russian government express the desire that

such concessions should later be modified in order to bring

them into harmony with the laws of the Russian empire, this

modification shall only take place in agreement with the

British government.

4. That in all parts of the ottoman territories ceded to

Russia, existing British rights of navigation and development,

and the rights and privileges of any British religious,

scholastic, or medical institutions shall be maintained. His

majesty's government, on their part, undertake that similar

Russian rights and privileges shall be maintained in those

regions which, under the conditions of this agreement, become

entirely British, or in which British interests are recognized

as predominant.

5. The two governments admit in principle that every state

which annexes any part of the ottoman empire is called upon to

participate in the service of the ottoman debt. Sir Edward Grey

Letter 2: From Sir Edward Grey To Count Benckendorff Oct.

10/23, 1916

In reply to your excellency's note of the 1st ultimo, regarding

the arrangement between great Britain, Russia, and France,

relative to the creation of an Arab state, or of a

confederation of Arab states, and to the partition of the

territories of Syria, Cilicia, and Mesopotamia, provided that

the cooperation of the Arabs is secured, i have the honor to

state that his majesty's government take note of the

reservation formulated by the imperial Russian government at

the end of article 4 of the arrangement respecting the rights

of the imperial government to grant cabotage in the black sea,

and of the desire manifested by that government that this

question should be submitted later to a friendly examination by

the governments of the parties interested.

Sir Edward Grey

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