Mosul Vilayet During the National Struggle

The National Struggle movement (1918-1923) under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha had a profound impact on the Mosul Vilayet which Britain invaded. Consisting of the Mosul, Kirkuk, and the Sulaymaniyah Sanjaks, the Mosul Vilayet was considered within the National Pact (Misâk-ı Millî) borders which determined the borders of the Turkish land. Therefore, a great struggle was waged against the British for this region to join the new Turkish State. During this period, many political and social events took place in the region, and phenomena such as pro-Turkish and pro-British sentiments emerged among the Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, and tribes of the region. Sheikh Mahmoud Berzenci of Sulaymaniyah, who was in close contact with the National Struggle movement, rebelled against the British with the aim of autonomy/independence. Türkiye, which found intense support in the region, tried to liberate the Mosul Province with the Revanduz military operation led by Mr. Şefik Özdemir. The British, who especially tried to bind the Kurdish tribes to themselves, aimed to eliminate Özdemir Bey and Mahmut Berzenci by using influential leaders in the region such as Seyit Taha and Simko. Mosul Vilayet is one of the places where the effects of the struggle movement were felt most intensely. The city of Kirkuk was one of the places the British feared the most due to its dense Turkmen population and pro-Türkiye stance. In the end, due to the new conjuncture brought about by the Lausanne Conference and Britain's insistence, Mosul Province could not be obtained.

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