In particular, with the events of the Great Middle East Project and the Arab Sprint which has become the land application of this project, it is clear how deeply the events have affected us and our region.
Even if our own land is faced with direct threat, somebody can say where did this Mosul come from?
Even among you, somebody can think that the comments and demand about Mosul are unfounded. In my opinion, don’t be too hasty to say these.
Why? Let me explain.
Recently, we have met with the strategist, researcher-writer Tarik Celenk for some occasions. Mr. Tarik talked about the researches that he has been making for Mosul. In the medium term, he shared his knowledge that it can be published as a documentary on TRT screens under the name of “Century Knot Mosul Province”. We read the description of the National Pack in history books, accept Kirkuk and Mosul within these limits but we implicitly internalize that this is not an international sanction. In a sense, we make the National Pack with emphasis to reveal our historical and emotional ties with the region.
Mr. Tarik says that “There are legal rights of Turkey in Mosul beyond feeling” and adds “Because the Turkey-Iraq border was determined by the 1926 Ankara Agreement. According to the first article of this agreement border between Turkey and Iraq was determined as the Brussels Boundary Line on October 29, 1924 session of the League of Nations”.
Now, let’s look at the details of the 1925 League of Nations report which is based on this Ankara Agreement. According to these details if the British mandate administration in Iraq ends, as it was determined in Brussels Boundary Line, it was accepted that Turkey can demand rights for Mosul and for the government of the region and can apply to the court of justice. This acceptance was indirectly emphasized by referring to the UN in the Iraqi Kingdom’s declaration of establishment. After this aggrement, the management of the mandate in Iraq did not continue for 25 years. It ended in 1932 namely after 7 years. In this case, according to the Ankara 1925 League of National basic report, Turkey has rights to apply Lahey for Mosul and its region and Mosul has rights to determine its own fate. But, in spite of this legal power in the hands of Mosul, Turkey couldn’t focus on it because of international problems sometimes but mainly because of external problems.
So by whom this report unanimously approved by UN was prepared? Hungarian Prime Minister Count Paul Teleki, Swedish Ambassador to Bucharest De Virsen and Belgian Colonel A.Paulis. In addition, in this report the Turkmen, Arab and Kurds in the region were registered with all the details that they wanted connect to Ankara if there was a change of administration. Today, Mr. Tarik states that the Mosul province still has international status in the UN archives.
Professor Ebubekir Sofuoglu is one of the leading experts on Mosul such as Mr. Tarik. He says too “Raif Karadag, the researcher that brought up the Turkey’s rights arising from Ankara Agreement and Brussels Boundary Line in 1973, was found dead in Ankara mysteriously in the hotel where he went to present Prime Minister Naim Talk and Fahri Koruturk. It was called a heart attack but this death is still unclear. Bringing forward the rights of Turkey in Mosul has been blocked in some way in each period”. Now, let’s think again. If such a legal text was in the hands if any Western state, what would be the consequences? The answer is very clear, isn’t it?
After being aware of these historical facts and legal texts, how do you feel when you say National Pack and Mosul?