Racial Profiling for Terrorists: Good or Bad?

[Seamus Fermanagh]

On Ottoman entrance into the First World War:

Turkey sought a formal alliance with England in 1910/1911. The English -- with Churchill as their representative -- turned them down. WC informed the Turkish leadership that, though England woudl not ally with them, the Turks would do well not to alientate British friendship.

Germany sought alliance with Turkey during the run-up to World War One, putting on specific efforts for an alliance in July of that year.

Turkey asked for a secret offensive/defensive alliance on 28 July 1914 in the event of either going to war with Russia. The offer was telegraphed to Berlin, signed, and telegraphed back within 12 hours. Turkey hesitated to sign.

That same day, Churchill, in his capacity as 1st Lord of the Admiralty, siezed two Turkish battleships -- the Sultan Osman and the Reshadieh -- which had been completed by early July, for which the builders had been paid the first installment of monies due, and for which Turkish transport crews were already in England ready to man these vessels. No compensation was offered but the PM Grey expressed regret and said the matter would be given "due consideration." [a very POLITE _________ you charlie.]

Turkey signed the alliance upon receipt of this Telegram.

On August 10th, having evaded the British fleet, German Admiral Souchon, with the Battlecruiser Goeben and cruiser Breslau entered Istanbul and were subsequently "sold" to the Turks as a replacement for the missing ships confiscated by England.

Still, while German influence in Turkey was growing, the Ottoman Empire hesitated to come actively into the war against Russia.

Annoyed with this dithering, Germany had Souchon, still in command of the Goeben and Breslau even though they were technically Turkish, proceed to Russia where, on 28 October 1914, he bombarded Odessa, Sevastopol, and Feodosia killing several Russian civilians and sinking one Russian gunboat. He then returned to Istanbul and anchored in the Golden Horn...well within range of the Turkish leadership.

Russia declared war on 4 November 1914, along with Britain and France the next day.

Source: Tuchman, B.W. (1962). The Guns of August. New York: Bonanza. esp. Chapter 10, "An Enemy Then Flying."