AnOttoman invasion of Persia took place in 1906 on the orders of thevali ofBaghdad.[1]Persia was then under the rule of theQajar dynasty.[2] The invasion of Persia by theOttoman Empire occurred during thePersian Constitutional Revolution, and theOttoman troops were driven out by Russian troops prior toWorld War I.[3]
Iran would maintain its neutrality duringWorld War I, but that did not prevent the state from being of interest to both theBritish and theRussians and therefore of strategic importance to theOttoman Empire.[3] On 23 May, the Ottomans began their occupation of Persia by occupyingBehik in Bradest.[1] By the end of May, Ottoman troops occupied parts of Dasht and Mergaver districts but not the settlement of Mergaver itself.[1] By 13 June, the Ottomans had occupiedSerdasht andBani.[1] Citizens ofKhanavin were forced to take Ottoman passports and enlist in theOttoman Army.[1] Five hundred mounted Ottoman troops marched from Baneh into the PersianLuristan country and the districts of Seifi,Malkhatavi and Baghasi and burned crops along the way.[1]
On 24 August, after protests were given by the Persian government, the Ottoman commander at Ban said he had no order to withdraw, and two days later, the Ottomans were collecting taxes nearUrmia.[1] On 8 September, the Ottomans occupiedGangatchin and the district ofBaradost.[1] Ottoman troops subsequently occupied a strip of territory extending from a point south-west ofSoujboulak to a point west ofKhoi.[4] On 3 August 1907, Mergaver was occupied, and three days later the Ottomans threatenedUrmia.[5]
From 1906 to 1911, the Ottomans, in concert with localKurdish allies, continued their efforts.[6] Heavy-handed rule byMohammad Ali Shah Qajar weakened Persia internally, and the continued interest from the British encouraged the Ottomans to maintain control of the territory, especially as the British wanted to preventRussian access to theMediterranean.[7] The Ottomans were eventually expelled from Persia by theImperial Russian Army in 1911.
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