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same time, Turks from western Anatolia, and more particularly immigrant Moslem
Turks, are encouraged to settle in "Kurdish" territory.
These policies have proved SO successful that the government in December 1946 felt
justified in repealing the "Tunceli Law,' the most drastic of its measures for restraining
the Kurds. Many Kurds who had been moved westward are now permitted to return
to their homeland. For more than a decade no new uprisings have taken place, and
the Turkish Kurds, already somewhat more prosperous than their brethren in neigh-
boring countries, have proved far less susceptible to anti-government or nationalistic
propaganda from abroad. The adherence of the Kurds in Turkey to a revitalized
Kurdish nationalist movement is far from assured. The process of "Turkification,"
moreover, will probably be accelerated as the construction of Turkish schools and the
government's measures for economic development continue. In particular, the dis-
covery of petroleum deposits at Raman Dag, along the upper reaches of the Tigris River,
could conceivably lead to a new era of prosperity for Turkish "Kurdistan."
3. RELATIONS WITH IRAN.
The Kurds of Iran have repeatedly attempted to shake off the central government's
authority. In the confusion which permeated the Middle East at the close of World
War I, two Kurds of the Shikkak tribe, Ismael Agha (better known by his nickname of
Simitko or Simko) and Ammar Khan, succeeded in dominating a wide stretch of north-
western Iran for four years before their defeat by an Iranian Army force in 1922.
Another rebellious Kurdish leader, Jafar Sultan, was able to maintain some measure of
independence until 1925.
Reza Shah's dictatorial government succeeded in controlling the Kurds during the
remainder of the period between the two World Wars, by virtue of the strong military
posts it set up throughout the Kurdish area, but the collapse of Reza Shah's authority
in September 1941, when Soviet and British troops simultaneously occupied Iran, was
followed by a new flareup of the Kurdish tribes. This revolt proved short-lived, how-
ever; the tribes and sub-tribes concerned showed a lack of cohesiveness, and the USSR,
apparently unprepared to sponsor a Kurdish state, used its military control over most
of the Kurdish area to restore order.
A new opportunity for Kurdish autonomist aspirations arose in late 1945, when the
USSR undertook active steps at least partially to dismember Iran before its occupation
troops left. Soviet preparations for establishment of a puppet state in Azerbaijan *
were paralleled in the Kurdish area to the immediate south; a Kurdish Democratic
Party was organized under a prominent and wealthy Kurd of Mehabad, Qazi Moham-
med, while Ammar Khan, hero of the 1918-22 revolt and probably the most influential
Kurdish tribal leader in Iran, was induced to lend the support of his Shikkak tribesmen.
Early in 1946, following proclamation of the new regime in Azerbaijan, Qazi Moham-
med announced the establishment of a "Kurdish People's Republic," with its capital
at Mehabad. The Qazi was president of the "Republic," and Haji Baba Sheikh, a
Mehabad mulla, headed the National Assembly. A Kurdish People's Army was
The alternate spelling "Azerbaidzhan" is used on the attached map.
9
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"ocrText": "SECRET\nsame time, Turks from western Anatolia, and more particularly immigrant Moslem\nTurks, are encouraged to settle in \"Kurdish\" territory.\nThese policies have proved SO successful that the government in December 1946 felt\njustified in repealing the \"Tunceli Law,' the most drastic of its measures for restraining\nthe Kurds. Many Kurds who had been moved westward are now permitted to return\nto their homeland. For more than a decade no new uprisings have taken place, and\nthe Turkish Kurds, already somewhat more prosperous than their brethren in neigh-\nboring countries, have proved far less susceptible to anti-government or nationalistic\npropaganda from abroad. The adherence of the Kurds in Turkey to a revitalized\nKurdish nationalist movement is far from assured. The process of \"Turkification,\"\nmoreover, will probably be accelerated as the construction of Turkish schools and the\ngovernment's measures for economic development continue. In particular, the dis-\ncovery of petroleum deposits at Raman Dag, along the upper reaches of the Tigris River,\ncould conceivably lead to a new era of prosperity for Turkish \"Kurdistan.\"\n3. RELATIONS WITH IRAN.\nThe Kurds of Iran have repeatedly attempted to shake off the central government's\nauthority. In the confusion which permeated the Middle East at the close of World\nWar I, two Kurds of the Shikkak tribe, Ismael Agha (better known by his nickname of\nSimitko or Simko) and Ammar Khan, succeeded in dominating a wide stretch of north-\nwestern Iran for four years before their defeat by an Iranian Army force in 1922.\nAnother rebellious Kurdish leader, Jafar Sultan, was able to maintain some measure of\nindependence until 1925.\nReza Shah's dictatorial government succeeded in controlling the Kurds during the\nremainder of the period between the two World Wars, by virtue of the strong military\nposts it set up throughout the Kurdish area, but the collapse of Reza Shah's authority\nin September 1941, when Soviet and British troops simultaneously occupied Iran, was\nfollowed by a new flareup of the Kurdish tribes. This revolt proved short-lived, how-\never; the tribes and sub-tribes concerned showed a lack of cohesiveness, and the USSR,\napparently unprepared to sponsor a Kurdish state, used its military control over most\nof the Kurdish area to restore order.\nA new opportunity for Kurdish autonomist aspirations arose in late 1945, when the\nUSSR undertook active steps at least partially to dismember Iran before its occupation\ntroops left. Soviet preparations for establishment of a puppet state in Azerbaijan *\nwere paralleled in the Kurdish area to the immediate south; a Kurdish Democratic\nParty was organized under a prominent and wealthy Kurd of Mehabad, Qazi Moham-\nmed, while Ammar Khan, hero of the 1918-22 revolt and probably the most influential\nKurdish tribal leader in Iran, was induced to lend the support of his Shikkak tribesmen.\nEarly in 1946, following proclamation of the new regime in Azerbaijan, Qazi Moham-\nmed announced the establishment of a \"Kurdish People's Republic,\" with its capital\nat Mehabad. The Qazi was president of the \"Republic,\" and Haji Baba Sheikh, a\nMehabad mulla, headed the National Assembly. A Kurdish People's Army was\nThe alternate spelling \"Azerbaidzhan\" is used on the attached map.\n9"
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