Assyrians, Kurds, and Ottomans: Intercommunal Relations on the Periphery of the Ottoman Empire By Hirmis Aboona

Assyrians, Kurds, and Ottomans: Intercommunal Relations on the Pe ...

Chapter 11:

Great Britain, the Ottomans, and the Assyrian Tragedy

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Nevertheless the heart of the problem remained unsolved, and the Assyrians continued to trust the Porte and Great Britain to solve their problems, whether they were returning the refugees to the homeland or freeing the captives. Thus Kemali Effendi, during his mission, had managed to address part of the problem, but not its core. He had demanded from Bedr Khan Beg the release of all Assyrian captives,³⁶ but Stevens had to report that the Assyrian question remained unresolved, because the Beg’s power lay beyond the limit of Ottoman reach. He questioned the seriousness of the sultan’s envoy in his mission, declaring that he had neither the power nor the authority to solve the problem. In contrast, Britain had taken a clear stand in calling for a Turkish military force to occupy Tiyari:

I cannot state positively that what proceeds will be the course which Kemal Effendy may recommend his government to pursue regarding the Nestorians, but I shall be able to give your Excellency more certain information when the commission prepares his report, which I hope he will do, by the next post. He has not been able to devote so much of his attention to these matters, as they require. He has been obliged to listen to hundreds of complaints against the extortions of the late Pasha.

Stevens further reported on the issue of the Assyrian tribes:

Bedr Khan Bey sent the following message to Mar Shimon a few days since he warned the Patriarch against listening to proposals made by ‘Osmanlees’ who he said were notorious for lying, that if Mar Shimon would put himself in Bedr Khan Bey’s hands, he should be reinstalled in the mountains, and all his affairs settled to his satisfaction. Mar Shimon replied that having thrown himself on the protection of the Sultan he would abide by whatever decision His Highness’ government should come to regarding him.³⁷

On his part, Rassam once again urged Beirakdar to interfere and to send an envoy to Bedr Khan to release the captives. The envoy, however, reported that the response of the Kurdish chief was that ‘the captives became private property by purchase’.³⁸