TREATY OF PEACE BETWEEN ITALY AND TURKEY[1]
Signed at Lausanne, October 18, 1912
His Majesty the King of Italy and His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans, equally animated by the desire to bring to an end the state of war existing between the two countries, have appointed as their plenipotentiaries:
His Majesty the King of Italy:
Mr. Pietro Bertolini, Grand-Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy, Grand-officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, deputy of Parliament,
Mr. Guido Fusinato, Grand-Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy, Grand-Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, deputy of Parliament, Counsellor of State,
Mr. Giuseppe Volpi, Commander of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus and of the Crown of Italy.
His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans:
His Excellency Mehemmed Naby Bey, Grand-Cordon of the Imperial Order of Osmaniè, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans,
His Excellency Roumboyoglou Fahreddin Bey, Grand-Officer of the Imperial Order of Medjidiè, Commander of the Imperial Order of Osmaniè, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans,
Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers which were found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following articles:
Article 1
Immediately after the signing of the present treaty, the two governments pledge themselves to take the necessary measures to bring about the immediate and simultaneous cessation of hostilities. Special commissioners shall be sent to the places to insure the execution of the said measures.
Article 2
After the signing of the present treaty, the two governments pledge themselves to issue orders immediately for the recall of their officers and troops, and their civilian employes, that is to say, the Ottoman Government will recall these officers, troops and civilian employes from Tripoli and Cyrenaïca, and the Italian Government from the islands occupied by Italy in the Ægean Sea, respectively.
The actual departure of the Italian officers, troops and civilian employes from the said islands shall take place immediately after the Ottoman officers, troops and civilian employes shall have departed from Tripoli and Cyrenaïca.
Article 3
The prisoners of war and hostages shall be exchanged in the shortest possible time.
Article 4
The two governments pledge themselves to grant full and absolute amnesty, the Royal Government to the inhabitants of Tripoli and Cyrenaïca, and the Imperial Government to the inhabitants of the islands in the Ægean Sea subject to Ottoman sovereignty, who took part in the hostilities and those who may have compromised themselves as a result thereof, excepting offenses against the common law. In consequence, no person, to whatever class or condition he may belong, shall be prosecuted or molested in his person or property, or in the exercise of his rights by reason of his political or military acts, or for opinions expressed during the hostilities. All persons detained and deported on such grounds shall be released immediately.
Article 5
All the treaties, conventions and engagements of any kind, sort and nature, concluded or in force between the two high contracting parties before the declaration of war shall again enter into immediate effect and the two governments, as also their respective subjects, shall be placed toward one another in the identical situation in which they were before the outbreak of hostilities.
Article 6
Italy pledges herself to conclude with Turkey by the same time the latter shall renew her treaties of commerce with the other Powers, a treaty of commerce on the basis of European public law, that is to say, Italy consents to leave to Turkey all the latter's economic independence and the right, in commercial and customs matters, to act like all other European Powers, and without being bound by the capitulations and other acts, entered into up to this day. It is well understood that the said treaty of commerce shall not enter into force until the treaties of commerce concluded by the Sublime Porte with the other Powers on the same basis shall have been put into effect.
In addition, Italy consents to an increase from 11% to 15% of the ad valorem customs duties in Turkey as well as to the creation of new monopolies or the levying of additional taxes of consumption upon the five following commercial articles: petrole, cigarette paper, matches, alcohol, playing cards. All that, provided equal treatment is applied simultaneously and without distinction to the importations from the other countries.
In so far as the importation of articles forming the object of a monopoly is concerned, the administration of these monopolies is obliged to secure articles of Italian manufacture according to the percentage established on the basis of the annual importations of these same articles, provided that the prices offered for the delivery of the articles of monopoly conform to the market situation at the time of the purchase, taking into consideration the quality of the goods and the average prices which have been current during the three years preceding that of the declaration of war.
It is, moreover, agreed that if Turkey, instead of establishing new monopolies upon the said five articles, should decide to levy extra taxes of consumption on them, these extra taxes shall be imposed in the same measure upon similar products of Turkey and of all other nations.
Article 7
The Italian Government pledges itself to close the Italian postal offices operating in the Ottoman Empire at the same time the other states having postal offices in Turkey shall close theirs.
Article 8
As the Sublime Porte proposes to open, in a European conference or otherwise, with the great Powers interested, negotiations for the purpose of doing away with the capitular régime in Turkey and to replace it with the régime of international law, Italy, recognizing the good grounds of these intentions of the Sublime Porte, declares its willingness from now on to render to the Porte to that end her complete and sincere aid.
Article 9
The Ottoman Government, wishing to show its satisfaction for the good and loyal service which it received from the Italian subjects employed in the administrations and whom it found itself compelled to dismiss at the time of the hostilities, declares itself ready to reinstate them in the positions which they had left.
An allowance shall be paid to them for the months during which they were not employed, and this interruption of service shall cause no prejudice to those of the said employes who would be entitled to a pension on account of length of service.
In addition, the Ottoman Government pledges itself to use its good offices with the institutions with which it is connected (public debt, railroad companies, banks, etc.) to the end that they may act in the same manner toward the Italian subjects who were in their service and are in a similar situation.
Article 10
The Italian Government pledges itself to pay annually to the treasury of the public debt for the Imperial Government a sum corresponding to the average of the sums which in each of the three years preceding that of the declaration of war have been assigned to the service of the public debt under the revenues of the two provinces. The amount of the said annuity shall be determined by mutual accord of two commissioners, one of whom is to be designated by the Royal Government, the other by the Imperial Government. In case of disagreement, the decision shall be submitted to an arbitral commission composed of the said commissioners and an umpire designated by mutual agreement of the two parties. If the agreement cannot be reached, each of the parties shall designate a different Power and the selection of the umpire shall be made jointly by the Powers thus designated.
The Royal Government, as well as the administration of the Ottoman public debt through the medium of the Imperial Government, shall have the right to request, in place of the aforementioned annuity, a single payment of a corresponding sum, capitalized at 4%.
In reference to the preceding paragraph, the Royal Government now acknowledges that the annuity cannot be less than two million Italian lire and that it is ready to pay to the administration of the public debt the corresponding capitalized sum as soon as the demand for it is presented.
Article 11
The present treaty shall enter into force on the day of its signature.
In faith of which the plenipotentiaries have signed the present treaty and affixed their seals thereto.
Lausanne, Oct. 18, 1912.
- Signed: Pietro Bertolini.
- Signed: Guido Fusinato.
- Signed: Giuseppe Volpi.
- Signed: Mehemmed Naby.
- Signed: Roumboyoglou Fahreddin.
- ↑ Translated from the Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno D' Italia, October 19, 1912.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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