British Deep State's Sedition Fuels Riots Across the Region

Nestorian Riot

Nestorianism and Missionary Activities Targeting Nestorians

Nestorianism is a Christian sect with members in various parts of Asia. Between 1915-1924, a significant Nestorian population lived in Nusaybin, Siirt and Hakkari in Turkey,³⁹⁵ with most settling around Hakkari and considering it as their center (there are currently no Nestorians in Turkey).³⁹⁶

When the word spread in the West of the Nestorian presence in Ottoman lands, many missionaries came to the region as various countries sought ways to turn this Christian minority on Ottoman lands into an advantage for them. Britain was the most ardent and determined one.

The British "Royal Geographical Society" and "Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge" were particularly active in missionary activities. Before we delve further into these historical facts, let us remember one more time a very important truth: being a missionary is a holy activity that people carry out to spread their faith and communicate the religion they believe in. However, the missionaries that will be mentioned here were not seeking to carry out such a duty; on the contrary, they were spies of the British deep state charged with carrying out its dirty tasks, but disguised as missionaries. So much so, those so-called missionaries sent by the said organizations functioned just like intelligence officers on Turkish lands and studied the social order and the power of state authority in the region. They determined the methods that could be used to provoke this community that had a different ethnical background against the state administration.

Nestorian Riots and the British Deep State Efforts

Nestorians had rioted twice against the Ottoman Empire, in 1843 and 1846, but they were suppressed. During WWI, they clashed with the Kurdish tribes in Southeast Anatolia and East Anatolia. The Ottoman archives mention the rivalry between Protestant British and American missionaries and Orthodox Russians to win over the Nestorians during these years³⁹⁷ and that the problems between Nestorians and Kurds escalated due to these supposedly missionary activities.³⁹⁸ Indeed, after having lived together peacefully, tensions began to arise between these two communities which later turned into bloody clashes when the British deep state came onto the scene and started its activities in the region under the guise of missionary activities in the 19th century.³⁹⁹

During the Kurdish-Nestorian clashes in 1843, British missionaries led by George Percy Badger used clothes, food, and money to curry favor with the Nestorians while the Nestorian Patriarch sought refuge in the British Consulate.⁴⁰⁰ This is an indication of how the members of the British deep state considered Nestorians as an ideal means to help them gain a foothold in the region. As soon as British missionaries like Dr. William Henry Browne gained the trust of the people in the region, they immediately said that the problem concerned internal policy⁴⁰¹ and took a stance against the Ottoman Empire.

John George Taylor, the Consul of Britain in Erzurum at the time, began his letter to Earl of Clarendon in 1868, with the following statements: 'Please find attached two reports which include my observations and the experiences about the country and the people. This data is based on my six years of duty in the country'. The attachment of the letter included, in addition to the demographic details of Nestorians, the following comment:

Nestorians are the second largest Christian community after Armenians. They are not important because they are rich or smart. It is because they live on a mountainous terrain close to Iranian border and can be fighters when necessary. It is also because in practice they are almost independent… They always complain about Kurds and Turks and they are so pitiful, they are willing to accept rule of foreigners at the cost of their faiths and lands.⁴⁰²

In other words, the members of the British deep state once again applied its usual tactics, tried to show Nestorians as an 'oppressed people', when they have been living in peace for centuries, and saw them as pawns that could be used with the pretense of 'protection'. (Nestorianism and Nestorians are above his remarks). They didn't hesitate to clearly voice their thoughts.

Riots during WWI and the Subsequent Clashes

Nestorians that rioted during WWI were defeated by the Ottoman army, and as a result started moving towards Hamadan with guidance and help from British aircraft. Subsequently, Britain set up a 3000-tent settlement in Baquba, 50 km from Baghdad, for 40,000-50,000 Nestorians.⁴⁰³

This made Nestorians more vulnerable to exploitation by the British. Living in tent camps dependent on the British, they couldn't help but turn into potential mercenaries for future British claims in the region, rather than being 'oppressed' people protected by the British.

Promising a muhtar (self-governing) state to Nestorians in Hakkari and Urmiye region, British wanted to build a buffer zone between the Ottoman Empire and its lands in Iraq and set up four battalions of Nestorians called 'Levy forces' as the armed force of this buffer zone.⁴⁰⁴

Identical to British forces in their uniforms and equipment, these forces staged attacks against people living in Hakkari, Şırnak and Van provinces, and particularly worked to drive the Kurdish population living along the Zab valley out of the region. In retaliation, Kurdish tribes began attacking British units in various areas starting in March 1919.⁴⁰⁵

Even though the British responded to these attacks with counter-attacks, they had to give up on their 'buffer zone' plans based on the use of these 'Levy forces'. Nevertheless, the British deep state continued its efforts to build a Nestorian state in Anatolia. During the conference held in San Remo, Italy from June 18 to 26, 1920, convened for the purpose of sharing Ottoman territory, Lord Curzon demanded a special settlement area for Nestorians. After this development, Nestorians decided to launch a military attack on Hakkari and then settle there.⁴⁰⁶ The attack that started on October 27, 1920 failed due to harsh winter conditions.

1924 Riot

Three years later, Nestorians rioted one more time and again, their supporters were the British deep state. The British deep state continued to use Nestorians as mercenaries against Turkey until the Mosul issue was resolved in its favor.⁴⁰⁷

Hakkari governor Halil Rıfat Bey, who was taken a prisoner in the beginning of the 1924 Nestorian riot and later released, said that he saw uniformed and armed British soldiers among Nestorians, and British planes flying over Hakkari (Çukurca) hills. Based on his observations, he said: 'There is no doubt that the British have been recently provoking these people against our government'.⁴⁰⁸

Halil Rıfat Bey was spot on with his analysis that the riot was backed by the British deep state. This fact is further verified in an article published by The Times during the same time. This article depicted the Turkish lands, planned to be taken for Nestorians, as the Assyrian State, and referring to the incident in Hakkari, used a threatening tone and said if the region were left to Turkey, more incidents would follow. In the same article, the Turkish land of Çölemerik (Hakkari) was called 'lands that belonged to no one yet'. Governor Halil Rıfat Bey, who went to investigate the area, was portrayed as a person that violated the region.⁴⁰⁹

Indeed, Turkey has declared on several occasions that the British had armed Nestorian tribes that staged attacks against Turkey.⁴¹⁰

In truth, the British deep state was planning to build autonomous Kurdish and Nestorian regions within Mosul vilayet, which according to its plan would later join the Arabic state that would be founded under the British mandate. This would give Britain the buffer zone that would protect its oil reserves in the Middle East and enable it to push the Kurdish and Nestorian regions northwards to expand its sphere of influence.⁴¹¹

Cafer Tayyar (Eğilmez) Pasha, the 7^th Corps Commander, was given the task of leading the military operation to suppress the Nestorian riot⁴¹² and the campaign started on September 11, 1924.⁴¹³ Kurdish tribes also supported the military campaign against Nestorians.⁴¹⁴

On the morning of September 14, a Turkish cavalry unit that passed the border between Hakkari and Mosul was bombed for three straight hours by three British planes that took off from Zakho. Forced to retreat, the Turkish units moved northwards.⁴¹⁵ However, when the British began to violate the Turkish land using Nestorians, Turkey sent a diplomatic note to the League of Nations on September 17, 1924, informing it of the violation of the Treaty of Lausanne.⁴¹⁶

The campaign reached a conclusion when the Turkish units reached the Hezil Suyu river line on October 11, 1924 and drove the rebels to the north of Iraq.

Sheikh Said Rebellion

Turkey was certainly not pleased with the resolution of the League of Nations dated December 16, 1925 that left Mosul to Iraq. Indeed, according to British intelligence, Mustafa Kemal was getting ready for another round of fighting. As preparations were underway for a military campaign for control of Mosul, the Sheikh Said Rebellion in Southeastern Anatolia broke out. This riot, that saw the participation of some Kurdish and Zaza tribes, was quite suspicious in terms of its causes and timing. The truth is, the riot started for no real reason other than it had been planned years ahead by the British deep state. It was a backup plan to be used should Turkey decided to act – militarily or otherwise – about Mosul. This phony riot would also accentuate the imaginary 'Turkish-Kurdish divide', another British deep state production, and bound Turkey hand and foot.

French historian Jacques Benoist-Méchin made the following remarks regarding the support of the British deep state to the riot:

The Sheikh Said riot was a challenge to the unitary structure of the new state and the applicability of the laws across the entire country… Hoping that it could prevent the Kemalist regime from getting stronger, Britain was provoking a Kurdish riot that would create unrest. It was keeping the wound open for Turkey, by providing food and ammunition to the rioters.⁴¹⁷

Britain was closely monitoring the Sheikh Said Rebellion. This incident took place at the most critical point of the Mosul dispute, under the supervision of the British deep state, and just as planned by the British deep state, gave British important leverage. This forged riot gave the international public the message that 'Turks and Kurds were unable to live peacefully together on Turkish lands'.⁴¹⁸ This incident allowed Britain to say: "Let alone the Kurds in Mosul, you are fighting even your own Kurds."⁴¹⁹

In the first days of the riot, the French Commissariat in Baghdad sent Paris a 40-page report. The report mentioned conflicting French-British interests in the Middle East as well as the Kurdish-British relations. It also included the following statements about Sheikh Said:

Since 1918, Sheikh Said has been working for the Istanbul Kurdish Committee, which seeks to build a Kurdish state under British mandate. In 1918, Abdullah Bey, the leader of Turkey's Committee for Kurdish Independence introduced Sheikh Said to Major Noel, who was one of the fundamental elements of Britain's Kurdish policy …⁴²⁰

Let us reiterate one important fact: Neither Kurds nor Assyrians wished to rebel on Turkish lands. On the contrary, most of these communities objected to these riots. The truth is, the riots were organized and orchestrated by the British deep state spies. The goal was to facilitate British intervention on Turkish lands, portraying Turkey as a weak country intolerant of its minorities, and of course, ensuring definitive dominion over Mosul. The ruses of the British deep state succeeded and the Investigative Commission set up by the League of Nations issued its report in favor of the British case and the League made its decision accordingly. Erzurum MP Hüseyin Avni Bey's following words were proven right once more: 'League of Nations is nothing but a British council'.⁴²¹