⬆️ [Higher up in 🧵] >> Early 1915: #Russia tells #EntentePartners it wants #Constantinople (now #Istanbul) & #Dardanelles; #Britain & #France reluctantly agree.

For centuries, Russia wanted access to warm water ports in the Mediterranean and fought with #Turkey for that access. It finally got one in #Syria after military intervention following #ArabSpring to prop up Bashar #Assad.

Assad's collapse threatens that Russian naval port as well as an air base.

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Intelligence update via @hanse_mina

⬆️ November 1914: Anwar #Pasha of #Turkey aligns with #CentralPowers (#Germany and #Austria-#Hungary) and enters the #GreatWar.

Early 1915: #Russia tells #EntentePartners it wants #Constantinople (now #Istanbul) & #Dardanelles; #Britain & #France reluctantly agree.

#Balfour, #Churchill, & #Kitchener favor annexation of #Arabia, #Palestine, #Mesopotamia (#Iraq) from #Ottomans; #EdwardGrey opposes.

A separate #intrigue was playing out between Turkey, #Arab leaders, & #Hussein (Sharif of Mecca)
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