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Considering the Jamal Khashoggi case from a historical perspective

The end in the Jamal Khashoggi case is near. Signs that Khashoggi did not evaporate into thin air at the Saudi Arabian Consulate have started to surface. It is certain that this unacceptable abominable incident will create deep impacts in the region. The incident will not remain as a murder case alone; there is no doubt that its political, economic, and in time, social impacts will also be revealed. Unfortunately, the predominant understanding in the world causes further victimization for the victim. The statements made by the U.S. president, who knew about the incident since day one and the West's silence are the clearest pieces of evidence of this.

The real victim in this case is Khashoggi. However, there are efforts to victimize Turkey as well. Meanwhile, King Salman taking action - even if last moment - to cooperate with Turkey, shows that he understands that the Saudi state and the reasonable administrative family will also be harmed by this incident. The issue is bigger than it seems, and speaking with caution until the incidents are clarified will harm nobody.

An example from history

Talking about history and looking at similar incidents instead of talking about the future in such situations will widen our horizon. We had previously touched on topics such as Saudi history and Turkey-Saudi relations and mentioned that I would continue on with the same topics. Of course, back then my intention was to scrutinize these topics from a historical and sectarian perspective. But current affairs have brought us to an entirely different position. Hence, what I will share now is not a tale, but an example.

Ever since the 17th century, the fate of Turks and Saudis has numerously intersected at various points. Today, putting aside the story of this long process, I am going to try to shed light on current events with help from just one section.

Faysal bin Turki, whom the Ottoman Empire appointed as mayor to the Najd region (around what is known today as Riyadh), managed the area and the Al Saud family for many years. Faysal, who was known in the family as "Imam," formed an extremely skilled administration and gained influence over the other shaykhdoms (Bahrain, Qatar and Oman) in the Gulf. The British, who considered this power as harmless so long as it remained within the desert, were not too happy to see his influence increasingly spreading throughout the Gulf. Because his strengthening would mean the increased influence of the Ottoman Empire. Yet, they did not know much about Faysal. As a matter of fact, his having no intention of reaching an agreement with the Brits was making them crazy.

The Brits step in

The Brits sent a wanderer named Palgrave, who would became quite famous in the following years, to the region as a Syrian Christian doctor. When Palgrave reached Riyadh in 1864, Faysal had become quite old and as a matter of fact, he could no longer see. His son Abdullah was taking care of the administration on his behalf.

Palgrave would collate his travels in the region and what he saw here in a two-volume book and form an unprecedented source. Some of the information he provided between the lines actually signals his own mission too. Hence, his writing that there was serious rivalry between Faysal's sons Abdullah and Saud reveals his task. Because in Bedouin culture, everybody knows that there is competition between brothers to lead the tribe. But according to Palgrave's claim, this competition was fierce enough to lead Saud to ask him for poison to kill his brother Abdullah.

If incidents had stopped there, this claim would have become a debatable record. Yet, incidents that developed in a short span of time actually show that - even though Palgrave did not give poison - the British were seeking a puppet within the family to use against Abdullah. In other words, Palgrave had given Saud the poison of discord, which was more effective than the poison itself.

Palgrave found what he wanted and left the region. Saud revolted against his brother Abdullah, who took his father's place after he died and was waiting to be appointed by the Ottoman Empire as governor. Faysal's son shortly wreaked havoc on the long peaceful region by drawing some tribes to his side with the support of the British. He caused trouble for his brother and the Ottoman Empire with the support from certain Bedouin tribes.

Midhat Pasha’s precaution

Midhat Pasha, who was shortly appointed to Baghdad as mayor, was following the incidents. He was aware of the threat that such attempts by the British would cause in the Persian Gulf. Thus, the British had Bahrain in the palm of their hands. Kuwait and Qatar were next. Even though the empire, aware of the situation, appointed Abdullah governor like his father to increase its effectiveness in the region, it failed to stop Saud's British-backed operations.

Abdullah, who realized the vitality of the situation, contacted Midhat Pasha and requested help against his brother, thus activating the pasha. He first wrote to Istanbul, informing that this matter was more than just a dynasty fight between brothers. He stated that the matter was big and concerned the entire region, and that the British, who were behind it all, wanted to settle in the Gulf with this excuse. He hence asked for permission for a military operation.

The details of this story, the documents of which can be found in Ottoman and British archives, are revealed a century later. Upon the permission Midhat Pasha received from Istanbul after a lengthy correspondence, and the support of the sheikh of Kuwait through the sea, he attempts an expansive military operation in the area in 1871. This way, he would delay the establishment of a Saudi dynasty that was likely backed by the British, and prepare the infrastructure that would allow the emergence of Qatar as a state in the future.

It is possible to interpret today’s incidents and the actors in the region by putting them in the place of historical personalities. However, know that Khashoggi was not murdered because of his personal views alone. On the contrary, he was killed because of the joint ambitions of those who want to exclude Turkey from the region forever, with fear of the remains of history. This is why Turkey should act with caution and avoid falling into this game.

#Jamal Khashoggi
#Turkey
#Saudi Arabia
#journalist
#US
5 years ago
Considering the Jamal Khashoggi case from a historical perspective
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