"كردستان والأكراد" [و‎‎٥‎١] (١٢٢/١٠١)

wards to Arabia, and which shall comprise the whole of Palestine, Syria,
and Mesopotamia. Many Kurds, too, who think that there is no chance
of the doctrine of a free Kurdistan finding favour in the eyes of the
delegates at the Peace Conference, are urging on their countrymen the
wisdom of throwing in their lot with the Arabs.
Since then these motives are all fictitious and by no means dis
interested and represent no national feeling amongst the Kurds except the
negative sentiment of a dislike of subjection to Armenia, it is necessary to
look elsewhere for its origin. And this is not far to seek. All competent
observers are now agreed that the source of the movement is to be found
in Constantinople. Although it is not always possible to analyse the
numerous Kurdish or pseudo-Kurdish elements at work in the Turkish
capital and to state definitely which are anti-British and which pro-
Turkish or pro-Kurdish, it is at least certain that several are working in
Turkish interests. I The leaders of the movement are clearly ‘Abd-ul-Qadir,
his brother-in-law Sayyid Taha, Dr. Abdullah Jevdet, and Suleyman Nazif
and the sons of Bedr Khan. Sureya Bey, another son of Bedr Khan,
works in Egypt, as has been said before, and is strongly in favour of the
British ; herein he represents faithfully the best Kurdish feeling ; for the
party in Constantinople which is genuinely national is pro-British rather
than pro-Turk. The Turco-Kurdish party, on the other hand is represented
mainly by members of the Committee of Union and Progress.^
J It was very reliably reported at the end of July that the Turkish Government
had summoned a delegation of the Kurdish notables residing in Constantinople to
explain the activities of the Kurdish party. A delegation under the presidency of
Sheikh ‘Abd-ul-Qadir Effendi, and comprising Mevlan Zade Kif‘at Bey, a jour
nalist, Amin ‘Ali Bey, a former official of the Ministry of Justice at Adrianople, and
Amin Bey, a Kurdish notable, attended at the Sublime Porte, and were received by
Avni Pasha, Minister of Marine, Ahmed Abuk Pasha, ex-Minister of War, and the ex-
Sheikh-ul-Islam, Haidar Effendi. These minister’s asked the delegation for an
explanation of their recent activities and desired to be informed on what authority
the Kurdish party were negotiating with the British in Constantinople on matters
relating to Kurdistan. This, they pointed out, was a purely interior question, the
decision of which depended on the Porte, which was in a position to grant a large
degree of autonomy to the Kurds. Mevlan Zade Rif‘at Bey, speaking on behalf of
Sheikh ‘Abd-ul-Qadir Effendi, replied that, according to the principles of President
Wilson, every nationality had the right to work for their own welfare, and that the
Kurds were convinced that the only power which could assure them freedom and
security was Great Britain. They had therefore considered it desirable to approach
the British authorities. He asked how it could he possible for the Turkish authorities
to grant any form of autonomy to the Kurds, seeing that the Turks themselves were
not sure of their own position. This last question angered Ahmed Abuk Pasha,
who jumped up from bis chair and said that the Government was now stronger than
ever, and that they had decided not to hand over a foot of laud to any intruders
whatever; that orders had been given to all army commanders in the Caucasus to
oppose any advance of foreign troops and not to allow the repatriation of Armenian
refugees. There Ahmed Abuk Pasha stopped, having been brought to order by a
look from Avni Pasha. Later information shows that a Kurdish Mission, composed
largely of members of the Bedr Khan family, is shortly leaving Constantinople for
the interior.