They ruined Atatürk's Syria policy

Date: June 5, 1915

Time: Afternoon.

Location: Gallipoli/Çanakkale

Mustafa Kemal had important guests that day. Interior Minister Talat Pasha, Edirne Governor Hacı Adil Bey, Dr. Nazım Bey, İsmail Canbulat, and Abdülkadir from Antep had come to Çanakkale to visit Esat Pasha, and afterwards, they descended to the headquarters in Düztepe to visit Mustafa Kemal.

Colonel Mustafa Kemal gave them a summary of the Gallipoli Campaign. Then the subject turned to Syria. Because the British were building up forces in the Sinai desert, inciting the Arabs, winning over the tribes, and creating a serious threat from the Arabian Peninsula toward Palestine and Syria. In the Iraq region, they were creating a threat from the Persian Gulf. They wanted to blockade the Arabian Peninsula. The entire Middle East was in danger. Talat Pasha asked Mustafa Kemal what should be done about this. Mustafa Kemal's answer to Talat Pasha was firm and clear;

-“Grant independence to Syria and Iraq...” he said.

But this was a very dangerous statement.

Talat Pasha was surprised to hear this. Because this region was within Ottoman territory. It took courage to say “Grant independence” to a part of a country's territory. Stunned by this answer, Talat Pasha did not continue the conversation. He ended it with these words:

-“Do not say this anywhere else, they will hang you!..”

This was not something to be said elsewhere, but Atatürk was right.

Because he was not just seeing the year or the decade he was in, but a hundred years into the future. Because if independence were not granted to Syria and Iraq, these countries would fall into the hands of imperialist states.

The day came,

The British took Jerusalem, took Palestine, took Syria, took Iraq. They entered deep into Ottoman territory, as far as Urfa. The French took Antalya and Çukurova. Then they occupied Urfa, Antep, and so on.

The British tore the heart out of the Ottoman Empire with the Treaty of Mudros. They even took the capital, Istanbul. They imposed the Treaty of Sèvres, a treaty of annihilation, on the Turks. But the Turks of that time did not accept it. Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal, they fought a War of Independence and tore up Sèvres.

And they won the great war. They established a new state and Republic in Anatolia and saved themselves from extinction.

But Syria and Iraq could not achieve this. They fell into the hands of the British and French. They could not escape the clutches of the imperialists. And they never recovered.

22 years later, in 1937, Atatürk brought up this meeting. “If it had been done, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria would be brothers; today they would be even more sincere brothers: an independent Syria, an independent Iraq, and an independent Turkey,” he said.

Atatürk's solution was simple.

These Muslim countries in the Middle East would be granted independence in time, they would be enabled to stand on their own feet, their political, economic, and cultural development would be facilitated, and in the face of an alliance of these three independent countries like a fortress, imperialism would not be able to enter the Middle East.

And the Middle East would live securely and be at ease.

In 1936, Atatürk reiterated his foresight and solution regarding the necessity for Syria and Islamic countries to be independent:

-“I say that the Islamic World and the Syrian Nation and State must be completely and absolutely independent. To think otherwise would be weakness,” he said. In 1937, he had said, “We will not allow the Middle East to become a slave to Western Imperialism.”

He was right. And he was determined, too.

He was not going to let the imperialists into the Middle East. That is why he established the Saadabad Pact.

Now let us look at the Middle East.

Syria and Iraq are fragmented, in a state of being slaves to imperialism. Iran is in a state of helplessness under a dictatorial Islamist regime, and the other Arab states are silent.

America is running wild in these lands. It is directing Middle East policy.

Millions of people, including children, have been slaughtered; some have fled the war, homeless and destitute, looking for a country to take refuge in.

The Middle East is a bloodbath.

Independence first, gentlemen, independence first.

What did Atatürk say about Syria and Iraq in 1920? Let us read it together;

“There is one thing to be done for Anatolia, Syria, and Iraq; and that is for Turkey, Syria, and Iraq to possess full independence and to form a solid union of struggle. After putting an end to the imperialist occupation on these lands, the principle of ‘establishing a new life for nations’ that will lead to the definitive salvation of humanity in this region can form the basis of a union of struggle. For the masses of people living in these three countries, who know each other very well and act with the same sense of defense in the face of the same dangers, no better policy can be conceived for today than to stand shoulder to shoulder and make the current struggle even more effective.

This policy also has an aspect to be applied for tomorrow that provides great benefits, which must be thought about and prepared for from today; that is a policy of mutual assistance aimed at defending the independence of the peoples of Turkey, Iraq, and Syria on a permanent basis and securing their economic interests. With this policy, on one hand, the dangers that tomorrow will bring are averted, and on the other hand, an era of peaceful work based on the principle of mutual assistance is opened for the three nations and countries in the future.

This is the very auspicious, very profitable policy plan for the masses of people of Anatolia and the Arabian Peninsula.”

The thing to be done was this;

To defend the territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq, to prevent their fragmentation, and to establish a triple and strong alliance in the south.

But that was not done. Since Özal, the exact opposite has been done. Özal served the fragmentation of Iraq, and Erdoğan pursued policies aimed at the fragmentation of Syria. And as a result, terrorist groups settled in both countries. Even Israel has reached the gates of Damascus.

Now our security in the south is under threat.

Atatürk's Syria and Iraq policy was the insurance of our southern borders; this insurance is now disabled. Let us see what happens from now on?

But it appears that moving away from Atatürk's policy will, as always, cost us very dearly.