Turkish Column Views PKK Goals, Role of Iraq, USA

Oct 25, 05:29 AM

Current Headlines: Text of report by Turkish daily Hurriyet website on 24 October

[Column by Mehmet Barlas: "Limited Intelligence Causes Unlimited Speculation"]

We are using reason more than intelligence in order to try and understand what the PKK terrorist organization, which threatens our internal and external security, is trying to achieve with its latest actions.

The overall conclusions reached are being written and voiced as:

They want to take advantage of the climate of democracy, social peace and accord in Turkey. The aim in particular is to render ineffective the deputies sent to Parliament by Kurdish voters in Turkey and thus block political avenues. They want to dynamite Turkish-Kurdish unity.

They want to drag Turkey into Iraq by initiating a military operation. The aim here is to replace the Turkish-American alliance with a Turkish-American conflict. The plan is to force Turkey into a corner within the international community, to sever Turkish-EU relations and to isolate Turkey at the UN.

The Middle East Problem?

They figure that if Turkey mounts a military operation and strikes at specific targets in northern Iraq then pro-Barzani and pro-Talabani Kurdish groups will unify with the PKK and turn the PKK into a legitimate body within a common Kurdish front. The aim here is to turn the "Kurdish reality in Turkey's southeast" into a "Middle East problem" akin to the "Palestinian problem" and put it on the world's political agenda.

The unknown or undeterminable elements are as follows:

What might the Sunni and Shi'i elements of the Iraqi population do in response to these PKK schemes? This is because any military operation by Turkey may speed up the independence process for the northern Iraqi Kurds. Would not the American-Kurdish alliance further ossify within this portrait?

What Does Turkey Think?

Might not Sunni and Shi'i activist groups resisting the US occupation of Iraq be pleased with the prospect of northern Iraq and this America going up against Turkey? What kind of attitude might be adopted in this case by Iran, which is known to be backing the Shi'i resistance in Iraq?

In contrast to this kind of speculation much thought is of course going into what we as Turkey ought to be doing.

In response to the threats emanating from across the border to our national integrity and security why does Turkey not get NATO, which it has been a member of since 1952, involved? Can NATO not intercede against the terrorist centres in northern Iraq like it is doing in Afghanistan? Any support given by NATO would surely be a sign of America's sincerity in fighting all kinds of terrorism, would it not?

Israel is known to have close relations with the Kurds in northern Iraq, so why is Israel not being invited to actively take sides in response to what is going on? Israel is able to occupy Lebanon in response to the activists that infiltrate across the border into the country. If it were to back Turkey in the Turkish- Iraqi dispute where the same thing is happening it would at least have an effect on America.

When considering all these points it is imperative that the thought centres shaping Turkish public opinion do not become confused.

Turkey Important, Not Staying In Government

When America sets its policy for Turkey it does not consider who is in power in Turkey; rather it considers Turkey's place within its regional and global interests. As long as Turkey is not seen to be opposing these interests it makes no difference if the army, the left or the right is in power. Indeed, when Turkey entered that economic crisis the left-wing Ecevit made Kemal Dervis, fresh in from America, his Deputy Prime Minister, did he not? America was close both to the 28 February administration and to the AKP [Justice and Development Party] government.

It is not possible for Turkish and American interests not to conflict. For example, the tension with respect to Iran and the chaos in Iraq are both counter to Turkey's interests. However, the skill in politics is in not turning these conflicts of interest into shooting wars.

Ever since the Truman Doctrine of 1947 every government in Turkey has been accused by every opposition of being "dependent on the United States." Whenever the opposition then comes into power it too faces the same accusations. Probably the smart thing to do is to end this vicious circle of political rhetoric.

President Bush's Lesson In Consistency

In the message he tagged on to his request for more money for war on terrorism, President Bush said, "Our soldiers at the front should not get caught up in the party squabbles in Washington."

Let us see if the same line is going to be repeated with respect to "Turkey's security," which is caught between the Iraqi quagmire and Washington's double standards.

Originally published by Hurriyet website, Istanbul, in Turkish 24 Oct 07.

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