Iraqi Kurdish Figures Say Turkish Incursion Would Not Target PKK

Oct 28, 11:13 AM

Current Headlines: Text of article by Sangar Abdulrahman: "Turkey's incursion does not target the PKK, it aims at toppling the Kurdistan experiment"; published by independent Iraqi Kurdish newspaper Jamawar on 22 October

Following the uprising, Turkey has often threatened to make incursions into the Kurdistan territories with the pretext of chasing the PKK fighters. But most political observers think that the Turkish threats this time are more serious than ever and think that Turkey this time is much more likely to cross Kurdistan's borders.

Regarding this issue, Abu Tara, a member of the Kurdistan Communist Party's Political Bureau, indicated that the threats and statements of the Turkish leaders are not mere words and have become a systematic plan, particularly after the Turkish parliament approved the suggestion of the government to make incursions into Kurdistan Region.

He also explained that after the resolution had been passed, the Turkish parliament, government and Ministry of Defence now have the choice of attacking Kurdistan at any time they choose, and see it as necessary to do so. He also said that attempts to carry out an incursion into Kurdistan have intensified since [Iraqi Premier] Al- Maliki's visit to Turkey, where he signed an agreement with them. The Iraqi minister of interior will sign a similar agreement with Turkey. Baghdad and Turkish leaders may have had many other covert talks. Therefore, the Turkish attempts, this time, are more serious than ever.

In this regard, Abdullah Haji Mahmood, a member of the Kurdistan Socialist Party's Political Bureau, explained that whenever the Kurds reach a level at which they can take major steps to achieve their rights, Turkey starts to threaten that it will launch attacks against Kurdistan. The seriousness of the Turkish officials' statements and attitudes this time can be attributed to the fact that the Kurds have been able, during the last few years, to take major steps forwards. It is this same issue that made the Turkish threats different from past ones. He also said that although the Turkish threats and statements were very serious, he thought that they were only intended to apply pressure, and an incursion is not likely to happen.

Bahman Hussein, a member of the Kurdistan Toilers Party's Political Bureau, thinks that the threats will be put into practice this time. He said that they had heard about Turkish threats in past years, many times. But they have never been as serious as they are now. He also said he ruled out the possibility that the army would launch the attack immediately after the parliament's approval of the incursion, because they are waiting for the US's decisive position. But fortunately, the USA has warned Turkey in five official positions against any type of attack.

Mamosta Aram, a member of the Kurdistan Islamic Group's Political Bureau, said the Turkish threats against Kurdistan were serious and had to be taken seriously. This is because it is not the first time that Turkey has made an incursion into Kurdistan. Turkey is a powerful military [member] state of NATO and it is the military that rules in Turkey and this factor is sensitive in making military decisions.

The tough statements of the Turkish leaders, in threatening to attack Kurdistan Region, met with strong international resentment, including from the US, Europe, UN and NATO, of which Turkey is a member. Also, many countries of the world and in the region, the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government rejected any attack by Turkey against Kurdistan. Can Turkey launch an attack amidst all this regional and international resentment? If it did, what consequences will this attack have on Turkey?

Bahman Hussein ruled out the possibility that Turkey can do more than that [as published] under all that international pressure.

Abdullah Haji Mahmood thinks that the only party that can stop a possible Turkish attack is the US military in Iraq.

Abu Tara also believes that if Turkey launches an attack on Kurdistan, disregarding all the international resentment, it will ultimately reap only fatigue, loss and shame. He said that if the war took place, big happenings in the Turkish cities are not ruled out that would be instigated by the PKK, and there will be strong dissatisfaction among the Kurds of Turkey that might lead to big catastrophes in Turkey.

During the last few days, there have been several diplomatic attempts by the Iraqi government officials to prevent Turkey from crossing Kurdistan Region's border. More attempts might be made and more talks held between the leaders of both sides for the same purpose. Will these attempts influence Turkey to change its position? Answering this question, Mamosta Aram said that the diplomatic efforts will have their role to play, but the political efforts and discourses have to be combined with deeds, particularly by the Kurdistan Regional Government. In this same regard, Abu Tara indicated that these efforts should not be considered as a gesture of goodwill by the Iraqi officials; he thinks that, under the cover of these efforts, they are trying to achieve their own purposes.

Abdullah Haji Mahmood also considered every diplomatic effort to solve the problems as a good thing, but he thought that the Arabs were not happy with the presidency of the region, the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Kurdistan parliament and the Kurdish local rule. Arabs never take good steps in the interest of the Kurds. And he said that, amidst these complicated situations, the Iraqi Arabs do not have a clear-cut position and he said he believed that the Arabs did not have good intentions in their current efforts.

Last Wednesday, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan asked the Kurdish leaders - in one of his statements - to cooperate with Turkey and drive the PKK out of the Kurdistan territories. Just after Erdogan's statements there appeared a view that there may occur, once again, inter-Kurdish fighting. But Bahman Hussein ruled out this scenario - that no longer will the Kurds fight Kurds for the interest of any other country. This is because, as he said, we have a bitter experience in this regard. He also said that the position of the Kurdish leadership towards Turkey was not bad as it had always been in contact and had always chosen dialogue for solving problems. Abu Tara, too, thought it had never been an honest way that people should be obliged to kill their brothers. He also explained that the historical role and duty do not allow Kurdistan people and the Kurdish leadership to do so. And he said that it has been reiterated dozens of times by the president of the region and the prime minister that this was not their job, it has been experienced and must not be repeated. But he is [they are?] prepared for any acts of coordination, cooperation and consultation. He said he thought that the Kurdish leadership would never be fighters of any other country. Political observers think that a Turkish attack on Kurdistan does not so much intend to fight the PKK as it does to topple the Kurdistan self-rule experiment.

Abu Tara deems all these opinions to be true and thinks that the enemies of the Kurds do not want to see Kurdistan as an official entity and be recognized in terms of international laws, saying they had already experienced this scenario. We have had several experiences in the last 100 years; whenever the Kurds managed to take steps forwards, states occupying Kurdistan have stood against it. Yes, their main purpose is to help those parties inside Iraq that do not want this situation to settle down.

Bahman Hussein, likewise, ruled this out, saying that a war against the PKK does not need that much [military build-up] and part of their incursion would target us, to terminate the achievements that have been made by the Kurdistan people following the uprising.

Originally published by Jamawar, Arbil, in Sorani Kurdish 22 Oct 07 p5.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Middle East. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.