"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [و‎‎٣‎٧] (٥٦٦/٧٨)

AGGRESSIVE TURKISH ACTION
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Many of the Europeans in the country left early in August to Russian
join their national forces, and a considerable portion of the n wVersia •
Russian troops in Persia also withdrew to join the field armies. August 1914!
Among the Russian units which remained were some at Maku,
Khoi and Urmia which had been moved there a few years
previously to prevent the Turks from occupying the district ;
and Turkish troops still occupied, to the west of Lake Urmia,
important strategical positions which constituted a threat to
the Russian flank. Persian objections to this Russian occu
pation had been modified by the benefits it conferred in the
way of increased security, trade and prosperity and by its
consequent local popularity, especially among the considerable
Christian community. The question, however, assumed a
different aspect after the outbreak of war, when Turkish mobili
sation and military preparations stopped trade into Persia and
when reports came in that the Turks were preaching a holy war
against Russia and were threatening to attack Persia if she
did not join Turkey.
At the end of August, on receipt of the draft of the official Attitude
communique which Great Britain proposed to publish in the ^ugust ^ 7 J
event of war with Turkey, the British Minister at Tehran took October 1914.
advantage of a visit by the Persian Prime Minister and one of
the chief mujtahids to explain to them Turkey's improper action
in regard to the Goeben and the Breslau. Sir Walter Townley
also asked that steps should be taken to put a stop in Persia to
expressions of open hostility to Great Britain and her allies
and that the Shiah mujtahids might be warned not to encourage
anti-Ally hostility. The Prime Minister agreed to take this
action and added that, if it were a question only of hostilities
between Great Britain and Turkey, the British could rely on
active Persian sympathy. But, he said, the hatred for our
ally Russia was so great that he could not promise more than
neutrality.
At this time, Turco-German agents in Persia were busy
propagating all sorts of lying stories and preaching a Jahad.
But though the Allied Ministers considered an anti-Christian
outbreak possible, to the British at any rate it seemed highly
improbable that Persia would join in the war against us. If,
however, this were to happen, it was felt that we could bring
considerable pressure to bear on her by occupying the ports in
the Persian Gulf and thus close one of her chief sources of
revenue.
During September Turkish agitation and instigation were
responsible for a series of hostile incidents in the frontier region