III. Convention Respecting the Thracian
Frontier
The British Empire, France, Italy, Japan,
Bulgaria, Greece, Roumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene State and Turkey, being
desirous of ensuring the maintenance of peace on the frontiers of Thrace.
And considering it necessary for this purpose
that certain special reciprocal measures should be taken on both sides of this
frontier, as provided in Article 24 of the Treaty of Peace signed this day,
Have decided to conclude a Convention for
this purpose, and have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries:
His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions Beyond the Seas,
Emperor of India:
The Right Honourable Sir Horace George
Montagu Rumbold, Baronet, G.C.M.G., High Commissioner at Constantinople;
The President of the French Republic:
General Maurice Pellé, Ambassador of France,
High Commissioner of the Republic in the East, Grand Officer of the National
Order of the Legion of Honour;
His Majesty the King of Italy:
The Honourable Marquis Camillo Garroni,
Senator of the Kingdom, Ambassador of Italy, High Commissioner at
Constantinople, Grand Cross of the Orders of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, and
of the Crown of Italy;
M. Giulio Cesare Montagna, Envoy
Extraordinary and minister Plenipotentiary at Athens, Commander of the Order
of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, Grand Officer of the Crown of Italy;
His Majesty the Emperor of Japan:
Mr. Kentora Otchiai, Jusammi, First Class of
the Order of the Rising Sun, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at
Rome;
His Majesty the King of the Bulgarians:
M. Bogdan Morphoff, formerly Minister of
Railways, Posts and Telegraphs;
M. Dimitri Stanciof, Doctor of Law, Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at London, Grand Cross of the Order
of Saint Alexander;
His Majesty the King of the Hellenes:
M. Eleftherios K. Veniselos, formerly
President of the Council of Ministers, Grand Cross of the Order of the Saviour;
M. Demetrios Caclamanos, Minister
Plenipotentiary at London, Commander of the Order of the Saviour;
His Majesty the King of Roumania:
M.Constantine I. Diamandy, Minister
Plenipotentiary;
M.Constantine Contzesco, Minister
Plenipotentiary;
His Majesty the King of the Serbs, the
Croats and the Slovenes:
Dr.Miloutine Yovanovitch, Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary at Berne;
The Government of the Grand National
Assembly of Turkey:
Ismet Pasha, Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Deputy for Adrianople;
Dr.Riza Nour Bey, Minister for Public
Assistance, Deputy for Sinope;
Hasan Bey, formerly Minister, Deputy for
Trebizond:
Who, having produced their full powers, found
in good and due form, have agreed as follows:
Article 1
From the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea the
territories extending on both sides of the frontiers separating Turkey from
Bulgaria and from Greece shall be demilitarised to a depth of about 30
kilometres within the following limits (see the attached map).
1.In Turkish territory, from the Aegean
Sea to the Black sea.
a line generally parallel to the frontier of
Turkey with Greece and Bulgaria, defined in Article 2, paragraphs 1 and 2, of
the Treaty of Peace signed this day. This line shall be traced at a minimum
distance of 30 kilometres from that frontier, except in the neighbour-hood of
Kirk Kilisse, where the town itself, and an area within a radius of at least 5
kilometres from the centre of the town shall be excluded from the
demilitarised zone. The line will run from Ibrije-Burnu on the Aegean Sea, to
Serbes-Burnu on the Black Sea;
2.in Greek territory, from the Aegean Sea
to the Greco-Bulgarian frontier:
a line starting from Cape Makri (the village
of Makri being excluded), thence north wards generally parallel to the course
of the Maritza as far as Tahtali, then passing eastwards of Meherkoz to a
point to be determined on the Greco-Bulgarian frontier, about 15 kilometres to
the west of Kuchuk-Derhend;
3.in Bulgarian territory, from the
Greco-Bulgarian frontier to the Black Sea:
a line running from the point defined above,
crossing the road from Adrianople to Kossukavak at a point 5 kilometres to the
west of Papas-Keui, thence running at a distance of at least 30 kilometres
from the Greco-Bulgarian frontier, and from the Turco-Bulgarian frontier,
except in the neighbourhood of Harmanli, where the town itself, and an area
within a radius of at least 5 kilometres from the centre of the town, shall be
excluded from the demilitarised zone; the line shall reach the Black Sea at
the head of the bay situated to the north-west of Anberler.
Article 2
A Boundary Commission, which shall be set up
within fifteen days from the coming into force of the present Convention,
shall settle and trace on the spot the boundaries defined in Article 1. This
Commission shall be composed of representatives appointed by France, Great
Britain, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and turkey, each Power having one
representative. The Bulgarian, Greek and Turkish representatives shall only
take part in the work concerning the territory of Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey
respectively; however, the combined result of these operations shall be drawn
up and registered at a plenary meeting of the Commission.
Article 3
The demilitarisation of the zones defined in
Article 1 shall be effected and maintained in accordance with the following
provisions:
1)All permanent fortifications and field
works actually in existence shall be disarmed and dismantled by the Power on
whose territory they are situated. No new fortification or work of this nature
shall be constructed, and no depot of arms or of war material or any other
offensive or defensive installation of cither a military, naval or
aeronautical character shall be organised.
2)No armed force, other than the special
elements, such as gendarmerie, police, customs officers, frontier guards,
necessary for ensuring internal order and the supervision of the frontiers,
shall be stationed or move in the zones.
The number of these special elements, which
must not include any air force, shall not exceed:
a)in the demilitarised zone of Turkish
territory a total of 5,000 men:
b)in the demilitarised zone of Greek
territory a total of 2,500 men;
c)in the demilitarised, zone of Bulgarian
territory a total of 2,500 men.
Their armament shall be composed only of
revolvers, swords, rifles and four Lewis guns per 100 men, and will exclude
any artillery.
These provisions shall not affect the
obligations incurred by Bulgaria under the Treaty of Nemilly of the 27th
November, 1919.
3)Military or naval aircraft of any flag
whatsoever are forbidden to fly over the demilitarised zone.
Article 4
In the event of one of the bordering Powers
whose territory forms the subject of the present Convention having any
complaint to make respecting the observance of the preceding provisions, this
complaint shall be brought by that Power before the Council of the League of
Nations.
Article 5
The present Convention shall be ratified.
The ratification's shall be deposited at
Paris as soon as possible.
The Convention shall come into force as soon
as Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey shall respectively have ratified it.
These ratification's shall be recorded in a
special procès-verbal. In so far as concerns the other Powers which have not
at that date ratified the Convention, it shall come into force as from the
date on which they deposit their respective ratification's, which deposit
shall be notified to the other Contracting Powers by the Government of the
French Republic.
The Japanese Government shall be entitled
merely to inform the Government of the French Republic, through their
diplomatic representative in Paris, that ratification has been given, and in
that event the Japanese Government shall forward the instrument of
ratification as soon as possible.
In faith whereof the above-mentioned
Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Convention.
Done at Lausanne, the 24th July,
1923, in a single copy, which shall be deposited in the archives of the
Government of the French Republic, which will transmit a certified copy
thereof to each of the signatory Powers.
(L.S.) Horace Rumbold
(L.S.) Pellé
(L.S.) Garroni
(L.S.) G.C.Montagna
(L.S.) K. Otchiai
(L.S.) B.Morphoff
(L.S.) Stancioff
(L.S.) E.K.Venisélos
(L.S.) D.Caclamanos
( ) ……………..
(L.S.) M.Ismet
(L.S.) Dr. Ryza Nour
(L.S.) Hassan
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