Ottoman invasion of Persia (1906)

An Ottoman invasion of Persia took place in 1906 on the orders of the vali of Baghdad. During this time period Persia, which would become the modern state of Iran, was under the rule of the Qajar dynasty. The invasion of Iran by the Ottoman Empire occurred during a time of Constitutional Revolution in Iran, and the Ottoman troops were driven out by Russian troops prior to the First World War.

Persia would maintain its neutrality during WW1, however, this did not prevent the state from being of interest to both England and Russia, and therefore of strategic importance to the struggling Ottoman Empire. On 23 May, the Ottomans began their occupation of Persia by occupying Behik in Bradest. By the end of May, Ottoman troops occupied parts of Dasht and Mergaver districts, but not the settlement of Mergaver itself. By the 13th of June, the Ottomans occupied Serdasht and Bani. Citizens of Khanakin were forced to take Ottoman passports and enlist in the Ottoman Army. 500 mounted Ottoman troops marched from Baneh into the Persian Luristan country and the districts of Seifi, Malkhatavi and Baghasi, burning crops along the way. On 24 August, after protests were given by the Persian government, the Ottoman commander at Ban said he had no order to withdraw, and 2 days later the Ottomans were collecting Taxes near Urumia. On 8 September, the Ottomans occupied Gangatchin and the district of Baradosl. Ottoman troops subsequently occupied a strip of territory extending from a point south-west of Soujboulak to a point west of Khoi. On 3 August 1907, Mergaver was occupied and 3 days later the Ottomans threatened Urmia.

From 1906 to 1911 the Ottomans's, in concert with Kurdish allies, continued their effort to change northwestern Persia into the northeastern portion of the Ottoman Empire. Heavy handed rulership by Muzafarrudin Shah weakened Persia internally while continued interest from the Russian and English empires encouraged the Ottoman Empire to maintain control of the territory and prevent Russian access to the Meditteranean. The Ottomans were eventually expelled from Persia by the Russian Imperial Army in 1911.