MOSUL IN THE OTTOMAN VILÂYET SALNÂMES

In this context, Mosul and its surroundings have great strategic importance due to a combination of its location, rich oil resources and ethnicity. The territory covered by the vilâyet of Mosul is a crossroads between Iran and Syria, Anatolia and Iraq. Therefore, the strategic worth of Mosul is significant for all four of these geographical regions. There are natural obstacles, mountains and deserts, between Anatolia, Syria, Iran and the region of Mosul, but there are no obstructions between Iraq and the region of Mosul. So the power that controls the region can win supremacy over all the territory of Iraq. As we mentioned above, the location of the region is not the only reason for its strategic importance. In addition, its oil assets and ethnic structure are important. The strategic importance of the region for Iraq is above all its geographical position, for Britain, its oil resources, and for Turkey, its population structure