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Kurdish Aspect, CO
Oct 28 2007
Turkish-American Relations
Kurdishaspect.com - By Amed Demirhan
In the post cold war environment, Turkish - American relations have
increasingly deteriorated as this author has been arguing since 1997.
The two countries' policies on major regional issues - Cyprus,
Armenia, the Kurdish issue both in Turkey and in Iraq, Syria, Iran,
and Palestine - have increasingly come into conflict. The rigid Turkish
political system with its root in the 1920s-1930s is not able to
respond to current domestic and regional political developments in a
rational manner. Therefore, this relationship is increasingly
becoming a burden for USA, and the current crisis of Armenian
genocide legislation in the US Congress and the corresponding Turkish
threat to invade the Kurdistan Federal Region of Iraq is only the
latest problem that has boiled up. Recently, the Turkish regime has
been experiencing extreme political crises. For example, in last
three years several que de etats have been aborted and just a few
months ago many Turks feared yet another one.
Turkey increasingly blames the USA for its own short-comings and
domestic problems; consequently, Turks holds the `championship' of
Anti-Americanism in the Middle East, even more than Palestinians,
Iranians, and Sunni Arabs in Iraq. The 2003 war against the Saddam
regime Turkey not only refused to assist American as an `ally' to
open second front against the Saddam regime, it also strongly limited
the Coalition Forces' capacity to fully use the Kurdish Peshmarge
against Saddam. After the war Turkey has been leading regional
opposition to the liberation of the Iraqi people from a dictatorship
by organizing regional countries, particularly Syria and Iran,
against a free Iraq and the Coalition Forces. The purpose of the
current Turkish threat to invade the Federal Region of Kurdistan is
to stop any US success in Iraq, and it is a direct challenge to US
policy in the region.
In September 24, 2007, the Turkish Land Forces Commander, General
Ilker Basbug, in a speech to military students stated: `It may be
claimed that Turkey does not have enough power to control the
development in Iraq by itself under the current conditions but they
can not say it [Turkey] could not hinder the progress and increase
the cost of the war in Iraq.' In September 27, 2007, the veteran and
Turkish Army insider columnist Fikret Bila wrote in the daily
`Milliyet' about Turkish Armed Forces expectation from the USA and
their understanding of the threat in regards to Iraq, he said that
the number one issue is an Independent Kurdistan in Northern Iraq,
number two the inclusion of Kirkuk in Kurdistan Federal Region (KRG),
and number three is the PKK. Therefore, the current threat of
Turkish invasion to Iraqis not about the PKK; rather, it is about the
success of the US and KRG. As such, it clearly is a direct challenge
to the US and Iraq governments and has practically nothing to do with
the actions of the `Worker Party of Kurdistan' (PKK- Kurdish
acronym).
The USA and Iraqi government should be frank and straightforward with
Turkey. The Kurdish problem in Turkey has been in existence for
centuries and since the foundation of Turkish Republic in 1923 as
former President Sulayman Demirel stated many times the PKK is the
29th and longest Kurdish uprising against the Turkish regime.
Furthermore, since 1984 Turkey has made 24 incursions in Iraq against
the PKK and mostly with help of USA, Iraq, and Kurdish political
parties in Iraq, but they have never managed to solve the PKK or
Kurdish issue in Turkey by force. The US with help of Israel
arrested/kidnapped Mr. Abdullah Ocalan the founder and the president
of the PKK in February 1999 in Kenya, perhaps in violation of
International Law, and handed him over to the Turkish government.
But instead of appreciation for their assistance the former Turkish
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit (who got credit for the arrest of
President Ocalan and with that recognition he was re-elected Prime
Minister) later declared that he didn't understand why the USA turned
Mr. Ocalan over to Turkey and in fact claimed it was an American
conspiracy against Turkey. This has been their response when the US
helped them against the PKK. Now, interestingly in the current clash
Turkey is again demanding that the USA and Iraqi governments arrest
the PKK leadership and send them to Turkey. Given their past
response to such assistance it can only mean that Turkey is really
only using the PKK difficulty to destabilize Iraq and defeat the US
in Iraq.
It is well known fact that the Turkish army has not been happy with
the `democratic progress' in Turkey or for improving relations with
the European Union or the success of civilian government in recent
years. Before the last elections the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF)
introduced a new threat concept to the elected civilian
government - the `e-threat' [in Turkish e-Muhtira] - on their website.
They couldn't stop the early election in July 22 of this year and
consequently election of President Abdullah Gul, so now they are
pressing for an invasion of Iraq simply to strengthen their own
political position. This is a common tactic used by many
authoritarian regimes, for example, the military junta of Greece in
the 1974 Cyprus provocation and in 1982 the Argentinean juntas'
Falkland Island invasion. In both cases the defeat of the military
led to greater democracy and civilian rule. Perhaps, the US should
let Turkey invade Iraq in order to be defeated by the Peshmarge and
Iraqi Coalition Forces and thereby help Turkeys' democratization.
After all, a democratic pluralistic Turkey will be a better partner
for the US and more respectful to its citizens and neighbors.
Amed Demirhan
Demirhan is University Librarian and a free lance writer on the
Middle East issues. e-mail: [email protected]
Oct 28 2007
Turkish-American Relations
Kurdishaspect.com - By Amed Demirhan
In the post cold war environment, Turkish - American relations have
increasingly deteriorated as this author has been arguing since 1997.
The two countries' policies on major regional issues - Cyprus,
Armenia, the Kurdish issue both in Turkey and in Iraq, Syria, Iran,
and Palestine - have increasingly come into conflict. The rigid Turkish
political system with its root in the 1920s-1930s is not able to
respond to current domestic and regional political developments in a
rational manner. Therefore, this relationship is increasingly
becoming a burden for USA, and the current crisis of Armenian
genocide legislation in the US Congress and the corresponding Turkish
threat to invade the Kurdistan Federal Region of Iraq is only the
latest problem that has boiled up. Recently, the Turkish regime has
been experiencing extreme political crises. For example, in last
three years several que de etats have been aborted and just a few
months ago many Turks feared yet another one.
Turkey increasingly blames the USA for its own short-comings and
domestic problems; consequently, Turks holds the `championship' of
Anti-Americanism in the Middle East, even more than Palestinians,
Iranians, and Sunni Arabs in Iraq. The 2003 war against the Saddam
regime Turkey not only refused to assist American as an `ally' to
open second front against the Saddam regime, it also strongly limited
the Coalition Forces' capacity to fully use the Kurdish Peshmarge
against Saddam. After the war Turkey has been leading regional
opposition to the liberation of the Iraqi people from a dictatorship
by organizing regional countries, particularly Syria and Iran,
against a free Iraq and the Coalition Forces. The purpose of the
current Turkish threat to invade the Federal Region of Kurdistan is
to stop any US success in Iraq, and it is a direct challenge to US
policy in the region.
In September 24, 2007, the Turkish Land Forces Commander, General
Ilker Basbug, in a speech to military students stated: `It may be
claimed that Turkey does not have enough power to control the
development in Iraq by itself under the current conditions but they
can not say it [Turkey] could not hinder the progress and increase
the cost of the war in Iraq.' In September 27, 2007, the veteran and
Turkish Army insider columnist Fikret Bila wrote in the daily
`Milliyet' about Turkish Armed Forces expectation from the USA and
their understanding of the threat in regards to Iraq, he said that
the number one issue is an Independent Kurdistan in Northern Iraq,
number two the inclusion of Kirkuk in Kurdistan Federal Region (KRG),
and number three is the PKK. Therefore, the current threat of
Turkish invasion to Iraqis not about the PKK; rather, it is about the
success of the US and KRG. As such, it clearly is a direct challenge
to the US and Iraq governments and has practically nothing to do with
the actions of the `Worker Party of Kurdistan' (PKK- Kurdish
acronym).
The USA and Iraqi government should be frank and straightforward with
Turkey. The Kurdish problem in Turkey has been in existence for
centuries and since the foundation of Turkish Republic in 1923 as
former President Sulayman Demirel stated many times the PKK is the
29th and longest Kurdish uprising against the Turkish regime.
Furthermore, since 1984 Turkey has made 24 incursions in Iraq against
the PKK and mostly with help of USA, Iraq, and Kurdish political
parties in Iraq, but they have never managed to solve the PKK or
Kurdish issue in Turkey by force. The US with help of Israel
arrested/kidnapped Mr. Abdullah Ocalan the founder and the president
of the PKK in February 1999 in Kenya, perhaps in violation of
International Law, and handed him over to the Turkish government.
But instead of appreciation for their assistance the former Turkish
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit (who got credit for the arrest of
President Ocalan and with that recognition he was re-elected Prime
Minister) later declared that he didn't understand why the USA turned
Mr. Ocalan over to Turkey and in fact claimed it was an American
conspiracy against Turkey. This has been their response when the US
helped them against the PKK. Now, interestingly in the current clash
Turkey is again demanding that the USA and Iraqi governments arrest
the PKK leadership and send them to Turkey. Given their past
response to such assistance it can only mean that Turkey is really
only using the PKK difficulty to destabilize Iraq and defeat the US
in Iraq.
It is well known fact that the Turkish army has not been happy with
the `democratic progress' in Turkey or for improving relations with
the European Union or the success of civilian government in recent
years. Before the last elections the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF)
introduced a new threat concept to the elected civilian
government - the `e-threat' [in Turkish e-Muhtira] - on their website.
They couldn't stop the early election in July 22 of this year and
consequently election of President Abdullah Gul, so now they are
pressing for an invasion of Iraq simply to strengthen their own
political position. This is a common tactic used by many
authoritarian regimes, for example, the military junta of Greece in
the 1974 Cyprus provocation and in 1982 the Argentinean juntas'
Falkland Island invasion. In both cases the defeat of the military
led to greater democracy and civilian rule. Perhaps, the US should
let Turkey invade Iraq in order to be defeated by the Peshmarge and
Iraqi Coalition Forces and thereby help Turkeys' democratization.
After all, a democratic pluralistic Turkey will be a better partner
for the US and more respectful to its citizens and neighbors.
Amed Demirhan
Demirhan is University Librarian and a free lance writer on the
Middle East issues. e-mail: [email protected]