Turkey’s Intelligence Agency Declassifies 97-Year-Old Report on “Lawrence of Arabia”
ANKARA — Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has released a significant historical document dating back 97 years, offering rare insight into how the Turkish state tracked the activities of the renowned British intelligence officer T.E. Lawrence, historically known as “Lawrence of Arabia.”
The declassified intelligence report details the espionage tactics Lawrence employed to operate undetected in the Middle East during the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire.
“Master of Disguise”
The nearly century-old document highlights Lawrence’s ability to blend into local populations. Turkish intelligence at the time reported that Lawrence frequently “changed his clothes and utilized different names” to mask his identity while traveling through the region. These disguises allowed him to move freely and gather information without raising suspicion among Ottoman and early Turkish Republican authorities.
“Instilling Poisonous Ideas”
The report takes a critical view of Lawrence’s influence on the region’s sociopolitical landscape. It accuses the British agent of “instilling poisonous ideas” into the minds of the local population.
The document suggests that Lawrence’s primary objective was not merely information gathering, but active subversion—spreading ideologies intended to incite rebellion and create lasting unrest against the Ottoman administration.
Historical Significance
Thomas Edward Lawrence was a British archaeologist, army officer, and diplomat who became famous for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. While celebrated in the West as a war hero, he is often viewed in Turkish history as a symbol of imperialist intervention and the fracturing of the region.
The release of this document is part of MİT’s recent initiative to share select pieces from its historical archives with the public, shedding light on the intelligence battles that shaped the modern Middle East.
Background Context: T.E. Lawrence and the Ottoman Front
To fully appreciate the significance of the newly declassified documents, it is helpful to understand Thomas Edward Lawrence’s specific role in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
1. From Archaeologist to Spy
Before World War I, Lawrence was not a soldier but an Oxford-trained archaeologist working in Ottoman Syria and Iraq (notably at Carchemish).
- Deep Cover: During these years, he mastered the Arabic language and adopted local customs.
- The Intelligence Asset: When war broke out in 1914, his intimate knowledge of the region’s geography and tribal politics made him a prime asset for British Intelligence in Cairo.
2. Architect of the Arab Revolt (1916–1918)
The Ottoman Empire, allied with Germany, threatened the British-controlled Suez Canal. To counter this, Britain sought to open a new front by inciting the Arab subjects of the Ottoman Empire to rebel.
- The Liaison: Lawrence was sent to the Hejaz (western Saudi Arabia) to act as a liaison to Emir Faisal, a leader of the revolt.
- Guerrilla Warfare: Unlike traditional British officers who preferred direct battles, Lawrence utilized asymmetric warfare. He persuaded Arab forces to avoid direct confrontation with the superior Ottoman army. Instead, they attacked the empire’s “nervous system”—specifically the Hejaz Railway, which supplied Ottoman troops in Medina.
3. The Fall of Aqaba and Damascus
Lawrence’s most celebrated military achievement was the capture of Aqaba in 1917.
- The Impossible Attack: Ottoman guns in Aqaba were fixed facing the sea, expecting a British naval attack. Lawrence and the Arab forces crossed the “impassable” Nefud Desert to attack the city from the landward side, catching the Ottoman garrison completely by surprise.
- Entry into Damascus: His campaign culminated in the fall of Damascus in 1918, effectively ending Ottoman rule in the region.
4. The “Poisonous” Legacy
The Turkish intelligence report’s reference to “poisonous ideas” likely alludes to Lawrence’s role in spreading Arab Nationalism.
- The Betrayal: While Lawrence promised Arab leaders independence in exchange for fighting the Turks, the British and French governments had secretly signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement, planning to carve up the Ottoman Middle East between themselves.
- Turkish Perspective: In Turkey, Lawrence is historically viewed not as a hero, but as a symbol of imperialist duplicity—an agent who exploited ethnic divisions to fracture the Ottoman state from within.
