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Document Details : Title: The Kurdish Factor in the Struggle for Vilayet Mosul, 1921-1925 Author(s): ALI, Othman Journal: Journal of Kurdish Studies Volume: 4 Date: 2001-2002 Pages: 31-48 DOI: 10.2143/JKS.4.0.519247 Abstract : This paper is an attempt to explore the roots of the Mosul frontier conflict between Iraq and Turkey, which was known during the 1920's as the Mosul affair. Most British statesmen of the day claimed that imperial security considerations, especially the securing of the frontier of Iraq against Turkish and Bolshevik threats were the most significant factors in the Mosul dispute, and oil had no bearing in this issue. However, others maintain tha tthe Mosul affair ws largely a struggle between Turkey and Great Britain for control over the oil resources of northern Iraq. We propose that while oil was a factor in teh dispute, especially for the British government, the Kurdish question was the crux of the Mosul affair. The Kurdish question played this central role in the dispute because it threatened the nation-building process, which was taking place in Turkey, Iran and Iraq during the 1920's. The study draws upon British and Turkish archival materials, memoirs, newspapers and journals,a and relevant secondary sources in Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, and English. |
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