The book in a figurative manner reveals the secrets of Russian-Turkish relations of the era of the collapse of great empires (1914-1918), shows the origin of many nodes of the Caucasian, Balkan, Middle Eastern conflicts of our time. The narrative is based on the materials of the now forgotten Russian military intelligence officer, one of the founders of the Naval General Staff of Russia A.N. Scheglov (1873-1953), as well as documents of his Turkish "colleagues" in the service. Designed for wide reading circles of Russia, near and far abroad.