In fact, this concession, which is likely to be famous in history when the Allies win, was handed over to the German Emperor personally by the Sultan.
Already a thousand miles of this road have been constructed through Asia Minor to Mosul.

The concession carries the mineral rights for ten miles on either side of the railroad, except through the oil fields of Mesopotamia, said to be among the greatest of the oil fields of the world.

They are really part of the famous Russian oil territory between Batum and Baku, or the Black and Caspian seas, which extends not only south into Mesopotamia but is now being developed far to the north in the Ural Mountains of Great Russia.
Steadily the influence of Germany progressed with Turkey, now through one channel, now through another.

When the Bulgarian war broke out, it was German guns and German officers and German money that upheld the Turks.

The French put their money on Bulgaria by bank loans to her treasury.