Traditionally, the Kurds were a largely Sunni Muslim nomadic people whose life centered around herding sheep and goats through the plains an highlands of what is now Turkey and Iran. The post World War I break up of the Ottoman Empire did not provide for a separate Kurdistan which forced the Kurds to abandon their previous nomadic lifestyle and establish permanent settlements and a more sedentary way of life in contiguous region that consists of sections of what is now Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey. The Treaty of Sevres included provisions that could have established a Kurdish nation, however these were never implemented. The Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk rejected this treaty in 1923 and, along with Iran and Iraq refused to recognize an independent Kurdish nation. Although persecuted to varying degrees in all nations but particularly by the Turks, the struggle for independence lay dormant until 1978 when, under the leadership of Abdullah Ocalan revived it. The struggle continues to this day.
Sharif Hussein bin Ali, Emir of Mecca and Arab King, was the last Hashemite Sharifians to rule Mecca, Medina and the Hejaz. This end of his rule in 1925 also ended an unbroken succession that commenced in 1201. The alliance of the Ottoman Empire, which was largely under Turkish control, with the Central Powers allowed the Emir the opportunity to separate the Arab lands from the Turkish nation in what became known as the Great Arab Revolt of 1916. His goal to create a unified Arab Nation that extended from Syria to Yemen was not realized due to the influence of Brittan and France, the Hashemite family is still deeply engaged in Arab politics..
The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 divided the Middle East between France, Great Britain and other allied nations. Portions were placed under the direct control of the European nations while in other regions the European nation influenced, but did not directly control the region. Many of the terms of the Sykes-Picot Agreement conflicted with understandings established in the Hussayn-McMahon Agreement of 1915 and in the correspondence that preceded that agreement. The understanding between Britain and France included the agreement that both governments would “ recognize and protect an independent Arab states or a confederation of Arab states ” . It utilized a map that divided the region into areas where France and Great Britain would have “ priority of right of enterprise and local loans” or “ shall alone supply advisors or foreign functionaries ” . It further established a region that included Jerusalem and Gaza that was to be international administration. Further terms established port access, trade controls and tariffs.
Kemal Ataturk, originally named Mustafa Kemal, is the philosopher politician who was the first president of the Turkish Republic, a position he held from 1923 to 1938. He was active in the military coup that overthrew Sultan Abd A-Hamid II in 1909, was an Ottoman commander in World War I. As a politician, he opposed the Treaty of Sevres in 1920. During the foreign occupation of Istanbul, he successfully brought together a resistance force, and national army that drove out the Allied occupying forces and established a Sultanate. The Turkish Republic replaced this in 1923. Under his guidance, Islam was disestablished as the state religion. He actively promoted, “replacement of religious with secular institutions of education and justice, emancipation of women, adoption of modern Western clothing and Latin script, and enforcement of equality for all citizens regardless of religion. “. The name Ataturk means “Father of the Turks” and was given to him by the Turkish Parliament in recognition of his achievements. “Peace at Home, Peace in the World.” is just one of the many quotations attributed to him
Works Cited
Good Reads. "Mustafa Kemal Ataturk." Good Reads. 12 3 2012
MidEast Web. "The Sykes-Picot Agreement : 1916." 2003. MidEast Web. 13 3 2012
The Hashemite Family. "Sharif Hussein bin Ali (1853-1931)." The Hashemite Family. 13 3 2012
The Washington Post Company. "Who are the Kurds." 1999. The Washington Post Company. 13 3 2012
Turkish News. "Kemal Ataturk." Turkish News. 13 3 2012
