An item referred to a telegram of last Saturday sent of the correspondent of the German newspaper
Berliner Tageblatt at Constantinople dealing with the arrival of the first of the four torpedo boats built by the German shipyard Schichau. The Turkish public was really enthusiastic when she arrived. Further more her reported that the Turkish and German cabinets were negotiating about the sale of the German ships Brandenburg and Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm.(1) The Turkish cabinet wanted to purchase both ships as soon as possible when England refused to sell second hand ships. Germany asked a reasonable price namely 500.000 Turkish pound or 11.000.000 Dutch guilders. At the same time could the necessary ammunition, guns and so on be delivered and the transfer could be immediately be executed. The Turkish navy would become again stronger as her potential opponent the Greece navy despite that Greece just acquired the armoured cruiser Awerof.(2) When one of the employees of the above mentioned German newspaper asked the German department for foreign affaires for more details were the negotiations confirmed.
Notes
1, See the note
http://warshipsresearch.blogspot.nl/2011/12/turkey-buying-german-armoured-cruisers.html
2. This was an Italian built armoured cruiser of the Pisa-class and which became nowadays still existing Georgios Averoff. With a displacement of 9,956 (standard)-10,200 (full load) tons and as dimensions 140,13 x 21 x 7,18 metres. Laid down on 27 February 1910 at the Orlando Shipyards at Livorno. See the link
http://warshipsresearch.blogspot.nl/2011/10/greek-armoured-cruiser-georgios-averof.html
