File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎61r] (130/834)

PAN-TUHAN AND THE ARABS
A Report, dated early in November, circulated and probably
seen by most readers o£ the Arab Bulletin, purports to reproduce
the views of someone very well acquainted with Turkey,
concerning the genesis, development and future programme of the
“ Turanian Movement From internal evidence, we may
conclude safely that this person is a member of the Turkish
Opposition in partibus inUdelium. What he states is exceedingly
illuminating and interesting, but being obviously “ tendentious ”,
must be received with reserve. The primary object of this
speaker evidently was to divert us and our Allies from the
dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire, by demonstrating that
a Turkey, still clogged with Arabs and in consequence still
predominantly Islamic, would be much more comformable to our
interest in the future than a Turkey, free of the Arabs, divorced
from the leadership of Islam, and concentrated on the pan-
Turanian ideal of one nation from the Hellespont to China and
from the Caucasus to Afghanistan. His policy, in fact, is the
same as that of certain optimistic Turkish exiles, who, as soon as
Gaza was ours, demanded to be installed forthwith, under our
guarantee and at our charges, as salaried provisional admini
strators of southern Palestine !
Bearing in mind, however, his parti pris, we may learn from
this Turk’s statements something more about the Turanian
Movement than either “ Tekin-Alp ” (Dr. Cohn) or our other
sources of information have told us. The most prominent
features, new and more or less true, of his exposition are as
follows :—
1 . That the leading part in the conception and promotion of the
Turan Movement was played by the Deunmeh Jews of
Salonica.
The speaker explains with much plausibility the motive of
the Deunmeh in this matter. The Salonica Jews, he says, unlike
most Oriental Jews, have grown rich by their own efforts
without foreign help. This they have accomplished by exploiting
the Turks, and, therefore, they regard their own future
prosperity as bound up with the continuance of an Ottoman
Empire. ' In their anti-Moslem zeal, they advocate the abandon
ment of the Arab provinces, being further disposed to that
course by a desire not to be involved with the impecunious
Palestinian Jews and the American and other supporters of the
latter, whom they have always kept at arm s length.
2. The backing of Germany.
This is financial, intellectual and moral. According to our
present informant, it has become active since the loss of Baghdad
discredited the u Mitteleuropa ” scheme. The Germans have
abandoned Berlin-Baghdad for Berlin-Bokhara, and now look to
their future control of a solid Turki belt, running up the heart