The invisible actor of the Mesopotamian oil: Caloust Gulbenkian "Mr. five percent"

This dissertation reveals the importance of individuals in the political economy of Mesopotamian oil resources in the foundation process of Iraq after the World War I. One of the consequences of the First World War was the emergence of need for the establisment of a new order in the oil rich ex-Ottoman territories after the disintegration of the empire. The industrialized Western states at that time were in need of more and more energy due to inreasing use of energy both in military and civil areas. Since energy became a matter of priority for these countries, the oil-rich Middle East which meant to get access to new resources became an attractive region for them. The territory was also economically attractive and commercially lucrative for the major oil companies of that time. Oil was the common denominator between states and companies and there was a ground for both struggle and collaboration among these actors. In this process which ended with the the foundation of Iraq and the formation of first oil cartel, the role of Caloust Gulbenkian was interesting and noteworthy. The importance of the role of individuals in the foundation process of Iraq has been scrutinized within the framework of descriptive analysis and the chronology generated from the oil related events of that period of time. According to the findings of the study, the efforts of Caloust Gulbenkian who was also known as "Mr. Five Percent"- the nickname pointing to his role in the process and his share in Iraqi oil- had been influential in bringing together the relevant statesmen and executives of oil companies. The long lasting struggle over Middle Eastern oil ended after a series negotiations, conferences and agreements between states and major oil companies of that time. The struggle over the sharing of the Middle Eastern oil had also been effective in the drawing of the boundaries of Iraq within the new system established in the region after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. This thesis shows that in the foundation process of Iraq the individual level of analysis is important as well as the state level in order to better understand this period. Key Words: Gulbenkian, Iraqi Oil, Mr. Five Per Cent, Political Economy