THE LENCE FLAG ISSUE BETWEEN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND IRAN

This study explains the issue that between the Ottoman Empire and Iran and was named as the "Lence Flag Issue" in the Ottoman archive documents. The mentioned “Lence Flag Issue” occurence in 1908 in the city of Lence on the Persian Gulf coast of Iran. The Iranians attacked the Ottoman Honorary Consulate in Lence and removed the flag from the Consulate. Following the issue, Iranian authorities were contacted to obtain a official apology but the Iranians claimed that the issue did not happen as described and that the Ottoman Honorary Consulate of Lence, Mehmed Hoca, was never accepted as a civil servant by the themself. As a result of the failure to reach an agreement after mutual correspondence, it was decided to investigate the issue through a joint investigation. Basra Police Chief Abdünnafi Efendi, who was sent to Lence, made a investigation and written a report regarding the issue. The report presented evidence of the Iranian attack on the Honorary Consulate of Lence and the acceptance of Mehmed Hoxha's official status by the Iranian State long beforehand, and stated that the Ottoman Ambassador to Tehran, Shamseddin Pasha, who was in cooperation with some Iranians, was responsible for the issue. Following the investigation report prepared, the Ottoman statesmen took action to receive a official apology from Iran and as a result of the negotiations between the two states, the Iranian State gave a official apology to the Ottoman State in the consulate of Buşeyr. After approximately one and a half years following the issue took place, as a result official apology given by Iran, the “Lence Flag Issue” ended with the agreement of the two parties.