Convention of Tophane

The Convention of Tophane is a Bulgarian-Turkish agreement, which recognized internationally the Unification of Bulgaria (September 6, 1885). The refusal of Russia to acknowledge the act of the Unification reasoned the convention of the Conference of Constantinople. It happened in the capital of the Ottoman Empire with some suspensions from the end of October 1885 by the beginning of April 1886. Despite the pressure of the England’s representative the Conference denies accepting the demand of the Sublime Porte, and on April 5, 1886 (old style – March 24, 1886) it was forced to sign the prepared Bulgarian-Turkish agreement draft. Below it, the act was signed by the representatives of the Great Powers that participated at the Conference of Constantinople. The Tophane Convention was signed also by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With the Tophane Act, Sultan Abdul Hamid II appointed the Prince of Bulgaria (without mentioning the name of the incumbent prince Alexander of Bulgaria) as Governor-General of Eastern Rumelia. As a compensation the Ottoman Empire received the Kardjali district, as well as 21 villages in the valley of the Vacha River, inhabited mainly by Moslems. These villages are included in the today’s municipalities of Devin, Borino and Smolyan. Thus Bulgaria lost 1640 sq.m of its territory. The rest articles in the Berlin Treaty concerning the East Rumelia remained unchanged. As the Convention was signed in the Sultan’s palace Tophane, it became popular as the Convention of Tophane.