"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. مجلد I" [و‎‎٢‎٢] (٤٥٤/٤٨)

THE TURKS IN MESOPOTAMIA
23
remaining, the Euphrates railway concession had lapsed, and
German interests were predominant in the Anatolian and
Baghdad railways. The reasons for this were largely financial,
but these again were dependent on the difference between
British and German financial methods and on the fact that
the alignment of the railways had been carried out on strategical
and political lines rather than with a view to early commercial
profit. In 1888* two irades were issued at Constantinople
conveying to a nominee of the Deutsche Bank the right of
working the existing Haidar Pasha-Izmid line and a 99 years’
concession for an extension of that line to Angora. In 1893
the German group received two further concessions, one of
which—for an extension to Konia—was completed in 1896.
The lines from Haidar Pasha to Angora and Konia now form
the Anatolian railway. The next development was the
Convention signed in 1899 which conceded in principle to the
Anatolian Railway Company the right to extend from Konia
to the Persian Gulf; this was succeeded in 1902 by a further
convention which served in turn as the basis for the elaboration
of the definitive scheme—the Baghdad Railway Convention
of the 5th March 1903. There are a few points to notice in
regard to the above. The concession of the right to extend
to the Persian Gulf was obtained when Great Britain’s atten
tions were concentrated on South Africa ; the original intention
that the line should go from Angora via Sivas, Diarbekr,
Mosul and Kirkuk was rejected in favour of the route via
Konia, ostensibly on account of engineering difficulties, but
really because of the opposition of Russia, who had constant
suspicions of German designs in Asiatic Turkey ; it was argued
at the time that the Turks were in no position financially to
provide the revenue required as a guarantee for building the
line ; and the British Government declined to assist or partici
pate in the project until, as will be explained in the next chapter,
just before the war.
The Konia-Eregli section of the line was opened in 1904
and was extended to Bulgurlu, but owing apparently to lack
of funds no further progress was made till 1908, when it was
resumed. By the outbreak of war the line had been completed
to Ras al Ain, with the exception of the portions where the
line passes through the Taurus and Amanus mountains ; and
from the Baghdad direction the line had been completed as
far as Samarra. This delay in building, whether due to the
* Direct railway communication had just then been established between
Berlin and Constantinople.