Nasrollah Salehi
Abstract
The long history of Iran-Ottoman relations witnesses various conflicts and the conclusion of numerous treaties. The second Erzrum agreement was concluded on 1 June 1847 between the two countries. Based on third article of the treaty, a common commission of four countries should be formed and set up delimitation ...
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The long history of Iran-Ottoman relations witnesses various conflicts and the conclusion of numerous treaties. The second Erzrum agreement was concluded on 1 June 1847 between the two countries. Based on third article of the treaty, a common commission of four countries should be formed and set up delimitation between two countries with field investigation. The Ottoman delegation, headed by Darwish Pasha, on the way to the mission to join the commission, before reaching Baghdad, raided the Iranian realm and occupied Qotur. This aggressively action so near formation of delimitation commission has become an important controversy between Iran and the Ottoman. Firstly Iran condemned Darwish Pasha's action and wanted mediators to take responsibility for the elimination of aggression. Occupation of Qotur lasted exactly thirty years, and eventually the Berlin Congress confirmed Iran's legitimacy, and the Ottoman government was forced to return Qotur to Iran. About the the occupation of Qotur and especially the actions of Mirza Ja'far Khan Moshir al-Dawlah during the three years of delimitation mission, no independent research has been carried out yet. The present study, with the historical method and descriptive-analytical approach, relying on the documents, in particular Iran’s Foreign Affairs’ documents answers these questions: What was the Qotur's position and strategical significance? Why was this area occupied by the Ottoman Empire on the eve of the formation of delimitation commission? What was the Iran's politicians actions, especially Mirza Ja'far Khan Moshir al-Dawlah, as Iranian delegate to the delimitation Commission against the occupation of Qotur? The findings of the study show that the three-yearly actions of Mushir al-Dawlah (1268-1265 AH) led mediators to repeatedly condemn the occupation of Qotur and endorse Iran's legitimacy. In fact, Mushir al-Dawlah’s actions became the cornerstone for Iranian diplomats in the decades to come and raise the issue of Qotur’s occupation in the international community. Measures that eventually resulted in the extradition of Qotur after thirty years.
