the beginnings of ottoman-german partnership - Bilkent University

Actually, it was obvious that Germany did not care much for the Ottoman victory or
defeat. The Germans even thought that Turkey should leave the Balkans in favor of
Anatolia. 101
Germany did not want to attract Russian hostility, and eventually cause
Russia to participate fully in the Anglo-French Entente. For this aim, Germany
already signed agreements with Russia in November 1910, and August 1911 in
Potsdam. With these agreements, Germany recognized Russian sphere of influence
in Northern Persia, and agreed not to support Austria-Hungary in its Balkan policies.
In return, Russia gave up its objections to Baghdad Railway and accepted the
extension of a railway line to Tehran by the Germans, which would be connected to
railways it would build in Persia. 102 Furthermore, when the Ottomans appealed to the
German government for the rejection of Russian requests on the renegotiation of and
changes in the Turkish Straits regime, Germany informed Turkey that it was not
against the renegotiation of the Straits regime. The indifference and the negative
attitude of Germany on this issue was clearly criticized by the German ambassador,
Baron Marschall who tried to convince his government about the potential menace of
Russian domination in the Ottoman Empire. He even wanted to resign from his post
if his warnings were not taken serious. However, his warnings were disregarded. 103
After a couple of months, this ambitious ambassador who was regarded as the real
101
Wilhelm II told just before the Balkan Wars that: “Rumelia offers no benefits for you; it is proper
for you to have a strong state in Anatolia. When you are strong enough, you can expand to Buhara,
Persia, Turkistan and the Caucasus, and establish a Turan state. That state would be an Asian state
with a population of eighty or one hundred million.” Goltz recommended the transfer of the capital
from İstanbul to Konya, Kayseri or Halep. Enver Ziya Karal, Osmanlı Tarihi IX. Cilt İkinci Meşrutiyet
ve Birinci Dünya Savaşı (1908-1918), (Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi, 1999), p. 180.
102
Rathmann, p. 123, Trumpener, ‘Almanya ve Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun Sonu’, pp. 142-143,
BOA, HR. SYS, Dosya: 111, Gömlek: 15.
103
Cemal Tukin, Boğazlar Meselesi, (İstanbul: Pan Yayıncılık, 1999), pp. 417-418.
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