Part I - Broken Promises

Summary

In 1914, as the Ottoman Government contemplated allying with the Germans in World War I, British Foreign Secretary (Foreign Minister) Sir Edward Grey admonished the Ottomans for turning their back on Britain – ‘Turkey's oldest friend’. Britain had in fact long since ceased to be a friend to the Ottoman Empire.

Promises

The Crimean War was ostensibly fought to defend the possessions of the Ottoman Empire. The 1856 Treaty of Paris confirmed the commitment to Ottoman territorial integrity by Britain, Austria, France, Russia, Sardinia and Prussia:

Their Majesties engage, each on his part, to respect the Independence and the Territorial Integrity of the Ottoman Empire; guarantee in common the strict observance of that engagement; and will, in consequence, consider any act tending to its violation as a question of general interest.

The provision was short of a commitment to defend the Ottoman Empire, but Britain, Austria and France committed themselves to the Empire in a separate treaty:

The High Contracting Parties Guarantee, jointly and severally, the Independence and the Integrity of the Ottoman Empire, recorded in the Treaty concluded at Paris on the 30th of March, 1856.

Any infraction of the stipulations of the said Treaty will be considered by the Powers signing the present Treaty as a casus belli. They will come to an understanding with the Sublime Porte as to the measures which have become necessary, and will without delay determine among themselves as to the employment of their Military and Naval Forces.

The signatories of the Paris Treaty specifically stated that they did not have ‘the right to interfere, either collectively or separately, in the relations of His Majesty the Sultan with his subjects, nor in the Internal Administration of his Empire’.

The Powers had committed themselves to the integrity of the Ottoman Empire and to non-interference in Ottoman domestic affairs. In an 1871 treaty they reaffirmed their commitment to the Treaty of Paris.

For the Ottoman Empire the promises in the treaties were worthless. When the Russians invaded the Ottoman Empire in 1877, Britain, France, Italy and Germany remained neutral. Austria colluded with the Russian invasion in exchange for Austrian occupation of Bosnia. Despite past promises, the Ottomans stood alone against the Russians.