Treaty Series No. 813

Minutes of the Meeting of October 1, 1929, Held at Angora at the Residence of the Turkish Delegation

[Translation38]

The meeting is convened at 4 p.m.

  • Present:
    • For the American Delegation:
      • Joseph C. Grew
      • Sheldon Leavitt Crosby
      • Julian E. Gillespie
    • For the Turkish Delegation:
      • H. E. Zekai Bey
      • H. E. Menemenli Numan Bey

The draft treaty of commerce and navigation between the United States of America and Turkey, prepared by the two delegations, is read.

1. With regard to Article I, the President of the Turkish Delegation, His Excellency Zekai Bey, declares that by the words: “other duties and charges affecting commerce”, contained in the first paragraph of the Article, he understands the duties pertaining to importation and exportation, to consumption taxes, etc. and not to internal taxes levied on incomes and to taxes on profits. The President of the American Delegation, Mr. Grew, declares that his Government is entirely in accord with the Turkish Delegation with respect to the interpretation given by the Turkish Delegation to the phrase: “other duties and charges affecting commerce”. The American Government is of the opinion, he says, that it is clear from the words as well as from the text that the sense of the phrase in question does not include taxes on incomes and taxes on profits.

2. For the third paragraph of Article II reading as follows: “It is understood that the High Contracting Parties shall have the right to apply these prohibitions or restrictions to products favored by premiums or subsidies, either openly or secretly”, the President of the American Delegation declares that his Government desires to suppress this paragraph since it is not the practice of the United States to accord premiums or subsidies and that no provision on this subject has been inserted hitherto in any American treaties.

The President of the Turkish Delegation declares that he will consent to omit this paragraph of the text of the Treaty in view of the declaration of the President of the American Delegation.

3. The President of the American Delegation declares that by Article III, paragraph (b), section 1, he understands that in all [Page 842] cases American and Turkish ships shall be permitted to pass from one port of the territories of one of the Parties into one or several ports of the territories of the same Party, either in order to unload there the whole or a part of their cargo or of their passengers coming from abroad, or to make up or complete there their cargo or to take on passengers for a foreign destination.

The President of the Turkish Delegation declares that the Turkish Government gives the same interpretation to this provision.

4. The President of the American Delegation requests His Excellency the President of the Turkish Delegation to be so kind as to inform him whether it is understood that the exceptions enumerated in paragraph (b) of Article III will be applied to vessels of the United States in Turkey and to Turkish vessels in the United States without distinction in favor of any third country.

The President of the Turkish Delegation replies in the affirmative saying that such is his understanding. Thereupon the President of the American Delegation declares that they are in accord on this subject.

  • Joseph C. Grew
  • Zekâi

[On April 8, 1930, the American Ambassador in Turkey and the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs exchanged notes to renew the commercial modus vivendi from April 10 until the date of exchange of ratifications of the treaty signed October 1, 1929 (711.672 (1929)/60). The exchange of ratifications took place April 22, 1930.]

  1. Translation from Executive A, 71st Cong., 2d sess.