An interview about W.Churchill on Turkish Gallipoli Campaign web site

[akifemre]

Hello from İstanbul,

I would like to present you an interview with Dr. Warren Dockter whose book to be released this month "Winston Churchill and the Islamic World: Orientalism, Empire and Diplomacy in the Middle East"

http://www.geliboluyuanlamak.com/582_Winston-Churchill,-Islamic-World,-Middle-East,-Turks,-Gallipoli-and-Ataturk---An-Exclusive-Interview-with-Cambridge-University-Historian-Dr--Warren-Dockter-(-Tuncay-Yilmazer-).html

I look forward to your comments.

Best wishes,

Tuncay

[michaeldr]

quote

Tuncay Yilmazer's Question:

Winston Churchill was well-known figure in Turkey. As the world entered the war did he consider to open was against the Ottoman Empire?

Dr. Warren Dockter's Answer:

Churchill originally sought to keep the Ottoman Empire as an ally as early as 1911, when he was approached by Djavid Bey to see if an alliance was possible. This was dismissed by Sir Edward Grey. Later as the pieces were falling into place regarding the First World War, Churchill tried to keep the Ottoman Empire neutral, even after he requisitioned the two ships which the Ottomans had bought from the British Empire. However, he was unsuccessful and Enver Pasha and others in the CPU who supported the German alliance had already solidified German/Ottoman relations.

Tuncay,

Thank you for the link and the chance to read the interesting interview.

May I add the following documents which should help to expand on Dr. Dockter's answer.

Seeking to keep Ottoman Turkey from entering the war Churchill telegraphed to Enver Pasher on 15^th August 1914 and, wishing to give his message the maximum impact in Constantinople, Churchill first sent it to Grey's private secretary at the British Foreign Office with instructions for its special delivery personally to Enver.

quote

“15 August 1914 – Admiralty

Sir William Tyrrell,

I suggest this sh(oul)d be ciphered to the Embassy at C(onstantino)ple & taken by Admiral Limpus direct to Enver thus making it a personal message from me & different from the regular diplomatic communications.”

Churchill to Enver - quote

“I hope you are not going to make a mistake wh(ich) will undo all the services you have rendered Turkey & cast away the successes of the second Balkan War. By a strict & honest neutrality these can be kept secure. But siding with Germany openly or secretly now must mean the greatest disaster to you, your comrades & your country. [see note 1 below] The overwhelming superiority at sea possessed by the navies of England, France, Russia & Japan over those of Austria & Germany renders it easy for the 4 allies to transport troops in almost unlimited numbers from any quarter of the globe & if they were forced into a quarrel by Turkey their blow could be delivered at the heart.

On the other hand I know that Sir Edward Grey who has already been approached as to possible terms of peace if Germany & Austria are beaten, has stated that if Turkey remains loyal to her neutrality, a solemn agreement to respect the integrity of the Turkish Empire must be a condition of any terms of peace that effect the near East. [see note 2 below]

The personal regard I have for you, Talaat & Djavid and the admiration with which I have followed your career from our first meeting at Wurzburg [see note 3 below] alone leads me to speak these words of friendship before it is too late.

Winston S. Churchill.”

notes:

1 – Unknown to the British, Turkey had already signed a secret alliance with Germany on 2 August 1914.

2 – The whole of this paragraph was drafted by Sir Edward Grey

3 – Churchill had met Enver at German Military manoeuvres in Wurzburg in 1909. They met again in London in 1910. In 1911 Churchill met Talaat and Djavid in Constantinople.

On 18^th August 1914, the British Ambassador at Constantinople, Sir Louis Mallet, telegraphed Grey to tell him “Minister of War (Enver) is delighted with Mr Churchill's message, and told Admiral Limpus that he realised force of his arguments, and should answer it.”

Mallet sent Grey another telegram later that same day with more details:

quote

“18 August 1914 – Constantinople

As reported in my telegram No.557 Minister of War was very much pleased with First Lord's message. He said revision of public feeling here would be effected immediately if His Majesty's Government would authorise me to make an announcement at once that the seizure of Turkish ships was not permanent, that it had been a much regretted necessity of war, that full value and some indemnity would be lodged for the ships and that public promise would be given that they would be restored in good order as soon as possible and seen safely into Turkish waters.”

There were later that day, further telegrams from Mallet to Grey, after the ambassador had met with the Turkish Minister of Marine, Ahmed Djemal, who was 'heart-broken at the loss of his ships.'

So the next day Churchill again sent a personal message to Enver and as before, Churchill asked that Rear-Admiral Limpus deliver the message in person: he also requested Limpus to inform Djemal

quote

“19 August 1914 – Admiralty

Will you please take an opportunity of showing Minister of Marine the telegram I have sent to Enver Pasha & telling H(is) E(xcellency) that had I had the pleasure of his acquaintance I should have addressed myself directly to him.”

Churchill to Enver – quote:

19 August 1914 – Admiralty

I deeply regretted necessity for detaining Turkish ships because I knew the patriotism with which the money had been raised all over Turkey. As a soldier you know what military necessity compels in war. I am willing to propose to His Majesty's Government the following arrangement:-

[1] both ships to be delivered to Turkey at the end of the war after being thoroughly repaired at our expense in British Dockyards;

[2] if either is sunk we will pay the full value to Turkey immediately on the declaration of peace;

[3] we will also pay at once the actual extra expense caused to Turkey by sending out crews and other incidentals as determined by an arbitrator;

[4] as a compensation to Turkey for the delay in getting the ships we will pay £1000 a day in weekly instalments for every day we keep them, dating retroactively from when we took them over.

This arrangement will come into force on the day when the last German officer and man belonging to the Goeben and Breslau shall have left Turkish territory definitely and finally, and will continue binding so long as Turkey maintains a loyal and impartial neutrality in this war and favours neither one side nor the other.

Do you agree?”

These details are from Winston Churchill By Martin Gilbert, Volume III, Companion Part I, Documents July 1914- April 1915 first published 1972

with best regards

Michael

[michaeldr]

Following on from his above, Dr Warren Dockter "wrote one of the earlier briefings for the exhibition plans" for the forthcoming IWM exhibition on Churchill:

read more here https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/22/winston-churchill-imperial-war-museum-middle-east-legacy