On the Repudiation of the Treaty of Batum, Signed in 1918,

by the Ottoman Government

 

Abstract  

 

On June 4, 1918, the Ottoman Empire imposed the Treaty of Batum upon the Republic of Armenia. By doing so, it broke its commitments towards the  other Central //-25  Powers. This triggered  a fierce resistance of Germany, readily assisted by  Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria. The Delegation of the Republic of Armenia conducted well coordinated negotiations in Constantinople (from 18.06 till 1.11.1918), Berlin (22.04-15.11.1918) and Vienna (4-16.09.1918). The  Armenian Delegation provided diplomatic staff of the above mentioned Powers with relevant documentation,  thus, contributing to the eventual repudiation of the ill starred text. This positive result was reached owing to following factors:  a) the aforementioned partners’ resistance, b) the Soviet Russia’s  initiatives which resulted in the Russian-German Supplementary Treaty, signed on August 27 combined with its note on the repudiation of the Brest clauses, dated September 20; c) determined and arduous efforts made by  A.Jamalian, G.Melik Gharagezian, L.Nazariantz, Dr.J.Greenfield, A.Aharonian, A.Khatisian, M.Papajanian, G.Korganian, H.Ohanjanian and A.Zourabian. As an outcome of their aggregated impact, on October 25, 1918, the Ottoman minister of foreign affairs Mehmed Nabi Bey informed the head of the Armenian delegation and consequently the Prime Minister H.Kajaznuni that his government had decided to follow strictly the clauses of the Treaty of Brest Litovsk and to withdraw its army to the frontier line, shaped by the given document. It was also stated that the Government meant the Kars, Batum and Ardahan districts precisely. On October 29, the Grand Vizier Ahmed Izzet Pasha had confirmed the communique of his Minister. After the Armistice of Mudros, on November 2 the head of the Ottoman mission in Tiflis Abdul Kerim further specified, that the instruction of his Government henceforth applied to the Russian-Turkish border of 1914.

Key words – Republic of Armenia, Ottoman Empire, Treaty of Batum 1918, Constantinople, Mehmed Nabi Bey, Ahmed Izzet Pasha, Germany. //-26