'Mosul Question, Lausanne 1922-1923 and after - Papers, despatches, speeches - Hotel de la Mer at Lausanne - Correspondence about oil' [‎199v] (396/501)

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else. It is a matter of general agreement that the Kurds are a people of Iranian race.
They speak an Iranian language ; their features are entirely distinct from those of the
Turks, so are their customs and their relations with women. I have been in the
Kurdish country myself; I have stayed with the Kurds, and, though I do not pretend
to he an authority, I would undertake to pick out a Kurd from a Turk any day of the
week, and 1 could not, unless I were blind, possibly confuse the two. For centuries
these Kurds, who are now claimed as Turks, have lived an independent life of their
own in the mountains. They have resisted all interference from Constantinople. The
Turkish Government have never exercised effective control over Southern Kurdistan.
Turkish Governors were often not able to enter the country, and frequently had to wait
a long time before pursuing their journeys thither, and when there were only able to
exercise but very little authority. During the war the Kurds in this area gave to Turkey
no assistance whatever. In fact any assistance they gave was given to the British. I
will next, answer one or two points made by Ismet Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . He asked why the
proclamations published in Kurdish territory were in the Turkish language. My
answer is that the Kurds are for the most part an illiterate people, and that the
instruction in writing Kurdish which we have set on foot has not yet had time to
penetrate very far. There had never hitherto been a written Kurdish language in
southern Kurdistan. Ismet Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. said that there are several Kurdish Deputies in the
Parliament of Angora. That may be ; but does he seriously contend that there is a
single Kurdish delegate from Southern Kurdistan ? Has there ever been one from
Sulimanyieh ? As regards the Kurdish Deputies at Angora, I wonder now they were
elected. Is there a single one who was elected by a popular constituency ? It is
notorious that they are all nominated men, and that some of them cannot take part in
the proceedings of the Assembly because they do not know the language. I do not
think therefore that much weight should be attached to the point of parliamentary
representation of the Kurdish community at Angora.
“ As regards the general relations between the Kurds and Turks we all know
that there have been constant manifestations of Kurkish discontent under Turkish
rule. During the last four years the British Government have been bombarded with
representations from disappointed Kurds, asking us to interest ourselves in Kurdish
autonomy or Kurdish independence. We have felt much sympathy for these
representations. But pray do not let the Turkish delegation imagine for one moment
that Great Britain desires to absorb a single Kurd into the British system. The whole
of our information shows that the Kurds, with their own independent history, customs,
manners and character, ought to be an autonomous race. One of the objects, and
indeed one of the partial results, of our administration has been the setting up of a
system of local autonomy with local administration and local schools, where an
attempt is made to teach the written Kurdish language. Why should these people in
this condition be taken and handed over to Angora, why should there be a plebiscite of
this people ? Angora asks for a plebiscite; the Kurds have never asked for it. Poor
fellows, they do not know what it means. The Arabs and the local Turks have never
asked for it. The only people who have asked for it are the Turks of Angora. And
yet only a few moments ago Ismet Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. said that it is contrary to the modern spirit
to impose on people something for which they have not asked. Further, the whole of the
economic connections of this Kurdish country are with Bagdad and not with the north.
W hat justification is there for cutting this economic connection ?
<l I hen as to the Christians, ismet Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. has referred to the question of these
communities, the Assyrian and Nestorian Christians on the frontiers of Mosul, over
60,000 in number. Do they want to be handed over to Angora ? Not a day passes
that I do not get letters from them appealing to be saved from that fate. Early in the
war they fled in thousands from Turkish territory, from Julamerk and elsewhere, and
poured down into the plains of Mesopotamia, and"the British Government has had to
spend hundreds of thousands of pounds in providing for them. Little by little we have
succeeded in settling them down in the northern parts of the Mosul Vilayet, where thev
are now preparing to defend themselves by raising levies. Against whom are thev thus
defending themselves ? Not the British, who established them there; not the Arabs,
who have no warlike intentions; it is the Turks they are defending themselves
against because they fear their aggression. And these are the people whom I am
invited in a spirit of friendliness to hand over to the Turkish delegation.
“ Ismet Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. said, how do you explain the fact that in 1920-21 there was a
rising in this country against your rule? Has the Turkish Government never
experienced a rising in any of the territories which it governs ? Is it not notorious that
the main reason for which they are now expelling so many foreign elements from their

'Mosul Question, Lausanne 1922-1923 and after - Papers, despatches, speeches - Hotel de la Mer at Lausanne - Correspondence about oil' [‎199v] (396/501)

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'Mosul Question, Lausanne 1922-1923 and after - Papers, despatches, speeches - Hotel de la Mer at Lausanne - Correspondence about oil' [‎199v] (396/501)

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