TNT History Archives: Ottoman Efforts Against Slave Trade From Libya via Crete (1884)/Part I

//Ed. note: In October 1884, the Ottoman government 
alerted its provinces, and Crete, in particular, to the practice
of characterizing emancipated slaves coming from Tripoli 
and Benghazi in Libya, at ports in Crete, as 'servants'.

At that time in the 1880's, Ottoman control of its province
of Crete was tenuous, at best, and the British exercised 
almost defacto control.

One slave's incredible story click here for a TNT report
about an Ottoman officer escaping exile in southern Libya
who encounters a Turkish-speaking tribal woman in the
Sahara Desert.//



Circular for All Provinces from the Interior Ministry:
Treatment and Details About Negro Slaves at Ports of Call

In the context of ending the trade in Negro prisoners, a complaint has
been received from the province of Benghazi in regard to the ongoing
treatment on the island of Crete of  emancipated male and female
slaves being characterized as 'servants'. 

The matter of the complaint concerns emancipated male and female
slaves who come from Tripoli and Benghazi with documents attesting
to their emancipation and including their personal descriptions. Upon
arrival in Crete on 'İdare-i Mahsusa' (Ottoman State) ships, these
persons are subjected to examinations by crew members and forced
to disembark as prisoners.

Henceforth, male and female Negroes arriving on these ships who bear
these types of emancipation documents will be examined and
investigated only by authorized port officials.  The results will be shared
with the province of Crete and those Negroes arriving from Benghazi on
the 'İdare-i Mahsusa' ships and who bear these emancipation documents
will be allowed to proceed or to work as servants in the homes of
Moslems on Crete.

With regard to the diplomatic note from the Embassy of England, dated
29 Rebiülevvel 301, to the Province of Crete, concerning the agreement
reached between the Ottoman State and England in regard to prohibition
of the Negro slave trade, the England embassy should be reminded of
paragraph one and alerted to the exception, in paragraph one of the
aforementioned agreement, regarding slave owners accompanied on the
ships by their 'Negro servants'. 

The slave owners should be separated from the Negroes, who should
then be examined, and their documents investigated, by Ottoman State
officials.  Those Negroes determined to be emancipated slaves should be
turned over to the Ottoman State for their freedom and sustenance, in
accordance with paragraph three of the aforementioned agreement.

The Embassy of England should not be fooled by documents seemingly
in conformity with the regulations of the Provinces of Tripoli and
Benghazi that state that Negroes leaving those ports are 'servants'.  Nor
should the Embassy of England permit an Arab sheikh it selects in
Crete to examine and inspect emancipated slaves coming from there
(Libya), and act as an official mediator, as this would be contrary to the
aforementioned agreement and deprive the emancipated slaves of their
freedom. 



     Libya, relative to Crete, upper right.

//END of PART I//