Turkey feeling its way in north Iraq

Subscribe
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Pyotr Goncharov) - Last Wednesday Turkish helicopters again hit the positions of Kurdish separatists in north Iraq, although the Turkish army completed a weeklong operation against "the militant wing of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party" only four days before, on February 29.

The Turkish General Staff has not confirmed or denied a relevant report by the Dogan News Agency (DHA). Moreover, the authorities had warned that they would approve military operations in north Iraq when and if necessary.

The trans-border raid has provoked a conflict between the Turkish General Staff and opposition parties, which have accused the military of stopping the operation under U.S. pressure.

Indeed, the operation stopped after the U.S. Defense Secretary had talked with the chief of the Turkish General Staff. At a meeting with journalists, the Turkish general denied that the decision had been discussed, saying that he would resign if it were proved true.

But the opposition's suspicion is probably justified, because the United States needed to stop Turkey in order to protect its reputation as the guarantor of stability in Iraq. As an occupation force, the United States is directly responsible for the situation there.

Washington must also take into account the reaction of Iraq's neighbors - Syria and Iran, because 6.5 million Kurds live in Turkey and 5.5 million in the Kurdish areas of Iran. Besides, talks between Iran and the United States on stability and security in Iraq are to be resumed in Baghdad these days, and so Iranian diplomats have to act on the Kurdish issue.

Why does Turkey, which has a better grasp of the situation than other countries, approve military interventions into Iraq then? Are the military results of raids against Turkish Kurds hiding in Iraq worth the political problems they create?

Vadim Makarenko, an expert on international military affairs, has said at a recent round table at RIA Novosti that the trans-border operation against Iraq was a feeler put out to test the international community's reaction in case of a possible split of Iraq. Turkey's territorial appetites in Iraq will not be limited to the disputed border region of Mosul, as it also wants the oil-rich Kirkuk.

Iraq's possession of Mosul was confirmed by the League of Nations in 1926 and the Treaty of Lausanne between Britain, Iraq and Turkey in 1923.

This is an interesting version, especially in view of the reaction of the 4 million Kurds living in Iraq to Turkey's raid.

Babakr Khoshavi, a representative of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan and the government of Iraqi Kurdistan, said at the above round table that "both sides are to blame" and the pullout of the Turkish army was neither a victory nor a defeat.

Fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party routinely make subversive and terrorist attacks against the Turkish army from the territory of north Iraq, but the Turkish invasion was carried out on a much larger scale, he said.

Khoshavi said that more than 90% of Kurds would vote for the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan if a referendum were held in north Iraq. But this does not mean that the regional government is advocating this policy.

As of now, Iraqi Kurdistan feels very comfortable as part of Iraq economically, politically and for security reasons. It also enjoys very broad autonomy. Ankara knows this only too well and, "as a neighbor, should respect our rights within Iraq," Khoshavi said.

Yury Nabiyev, chief editor of the Kurdistan.ru web site, shares this view.

The two men, who seemingly opposed Makarenko at the round table, nevertheless did not refute his conclusions about the real goals of Turkey's trans-border operation.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала