DISAGREEMENT AMONG LEADERS OF REVOLUTION

Revolution’s second man Lieutenant Colonel A.Arif was an Arab Nationalist and Nasır supporter .Arif met Nasır in Syria’s capital Şam a few months later revolution.They came to decision about the matter of Iraq and Musul’s Unity.Some of the officers,reacting against Kingdom’s West Policy in the army were nationalist and some of them were communist.This two tendencies beginning to collide slowly,were forcing the new regime to be separated in to two part .In the first cabinet founded by General Kasım,there were twelve minister and four of them were communist.Arif supporters reacting against Kasım were being supported by Moscow.Kamil Kazancı,educated in Moscow for many years,had been chosen for Society Resistance Army,founded by Kasım. After the revolution,New Iraq constition prepared by Kasım stressed that Iraq was a part of Great Arab Country.According to other language,Arabians and Kurds were shown as common owner of Iraq.Even though mentioned in constitution,during the Kingdom term,the Turks weren’t given any right.Whereas in the new regime’s constition,the Turks weren’t discussed.This caused the Turks to react violently.It was understood that the rights wouldn’t be given the Turks by neither Nasır supporters nor communists.And languages in this constition showed Nasır’s pressure and a tendency to found a Kurd Government.In Revalution’s thirdth month,Arif had been arrested although Nasır supporters were recommended that Kasım had Power without his rivals.

When Nasır was recommended,communists and nationalists began to collide.Approximately one thousand people were arrested with the intervention of military unities in Baghdad.Thus Arif supporters wanting to unite Iraq and United Arabian Republic fell through.Kasım,supported by communists,began to contact with Soviet Union.Army was furnished with Russian weapons.742 doctor,1053 agriculture engineer,142 petrol expert,705 teacher and a lot of military expert come from Russia to Turkey.Many people were questioned and tortured by Society Resistence Army.Milis Forces pillaged the houses whichever they wanted and killed some people.In North part of Iraq,Kurd’s autonomy demands increased.When Kingdom regime was callapsed,it was replaced with Socialist Regime.Kurds wanted to try every way to reach their purpose by taking advantage of Kasım’s mother’s being Kurd.

By the way some suspicious and disturbing events happened in Kerkük.The Kurds and communists was a danger against the Turks. Turks were being insulted and were said to have no rights. Wealth people,everywhere in Iraq,were being insulted as well.There was no progress concerning the Turks in Kerkük.So,this situation Made Communists angry.Villagers weren’t complaining about landowners and wealth people had assumed the poors as their brothers.Thus Communists’aim reached their purpose successfully.

During Kingdom Era all the political culprits fled abroad where they were forgiven by the new regime.They were also called to turn back their country.Molla Mustafa Barzani turned back to Iraq from Moscow where he had stayed as an exhile for eleven years.He was met with enthusiasm in Baghdad.Barzani’s turning back to Iraq,encouraged Kurd.Because they were planning to add Kerkük which was famous for petroleum wells into their lands.They were planning to own Kerkük region having rich Babagurgur Petroleum well,for economic sources to their government.But there was a big obstacle against this plan,because Kerkük was a Turkish City.And there was a little Kurd population in Kerkük in those dates.In order go to Süleymaniye,Mustafa Barzani’s plane landed in Kerkük Military Airport.And he was met by Kurd groups coming to Kerkük.

Then Barzeni visited Süleymaniye,during his two days visit and met with Kurds landowners on 24 October.Barzani returned to Kerkük with hundreds of Communist Kurds.When Kurd armed forces came Kerkük,tension in the city increased.These groups chanting various slogans against Turk,began to increase these slogans every minute.That night they attacked Yıldız Cafe where Turk youth sat and fights broke out.On the 2nd day communist demonstrators attacks intensified.Shopes were looted and the houses owned by Turk were attacked.For this reason Turks began to defence themselves some struggles between Turks and Communists occured.With the provocation of Kurd officers,also Army Forces supported the Kurd Communists and attacked the Turk citizens.Hundred-thousands of armed Kurd coming from Süleymaniye by lorry began to chant slogans against Turks in spite of having Kasım and Barzani’s posters in their hand and went on the public demonstration in Kerkük.Against the City’s Turk citizen “Leave these places ,These places are ours chanted slogans Kurds and tore are Atatürk and the other Turk leader’s pictures in order to provoke the Turks.Because of these events first important conflict occured between Turks and Kurds.At the same time Garrison Commander Hidayet Aslan was making every efforts to prevent the event becoming serious.Barzani would fly to Baghdad from Kerkük Military Airport again.

Although Barzani didn’t have any official capacity,Kerkük Garrison Commander Hidayet Aslan saw him off.Because of the attacks on Turks,he was so sorry that died as a result of a heart attack.Meanwhile Barzani had already left Kerkük.The next day,in other words,on 25 October 1958 the 2nd Division Commander in Kerkük General Nazım Tabakçalı published a decleration and wanted Turks to calm down and not to respond the provocation.In the same day thousands of people took part in Hidayet Aslan’s funeral. After the people returning from funeral began walking to the 2nd Division Commandership.Thanks to Ata Hayrullah’s warning,people dispersed quietly.Because he was one of the leader liked by Iraq Turks.