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| Iraq |
| Ankara tests Washington’s patience |
| 2003-03-25 |
| Headline in Guardian: 'We could sink in the swamp of Iraq' A sampling of editorial opinion Sabah Turkey, editorial, March 22 "US-Turkish relations are ... drifting towards very dangerous waters ... The US has revealed that it is fiercely opposed to Turkish soldiers entering northern Iraq ... Iraqi Kurds' threat [to take Kirkuk] ... shows that the aim of sending forces into northern Iraq has gone way beyond [providing] humanitarian aid. In other words, in the same way that the US has sent soldiers to Iraq as a 'pre-emptive war' strategy, Turkey must enter northern Iraq for a 'pre-emptive intervention'." Fikret Bil Millyet, Turkey, March 23 "The US is placing its emphasis on negotiations with the groups in northern Iraq and ... has left Turkey's worries in the background. This is why [the Turks] distrust the US so much ... Acceding to all US requests by instantly saying 'with pleasure' is the sort of thing only seen in banana republics ... It is not realistic to be this afraid of America ... "The foreign minister, [Abdullah] Gul ... has explained under what conditions and with what aims Turkey will enter northern Iraq ... [to maintain] border security, prevent large waves of refugees, and to intervene when confronted with attempts to massacre the Turkmens." Mensur Akgun Hurriyet, Turkey, March 24 "The rejection of the motion [to allow US troops to be stationed in Turkey] ... gave the Kurds in northern Iraq a new hope ... If America cannot, or does not want to, obstruct the Kurds then Turkey could sink in the swamp of northern Iraq. Not only will our relations with America and Europe break down, we could also inadvertently help in the creation of a Kurdish state." Mahmut Sakar Ozgur Politika, March 24 "Until Turkey changes its approach and comes to an agreement to integrate with its own Kurds, then [the situation] will become even more painful. Turkey must ... adopt a new political perspective that has peace and a democratic solution to the Kurdish problem at its core." Ozgur Politika is a European-based Kurdish newspaper William Safire New York Times, March 24 "The Turks ... insist that Iraqi Kurds plan to set up an independent state, which would then supposedly cause Turkish Kurds to secede and break up Turkey. "That's strictly [Tayyip] Erdogan's cover story for an oil grab, undermining the coalition's plans for an Iraq whole and free. Even America's severest critics recognise Turkey's move as venal ... The novice wheeler-dealer in Ankara [has] succeeded in alienating both the transatlantic coalition of the willing and old Europe's union of the unwilling." Jordan Times Editorial, March 24 "To be sure, Turkey has legitimate national concerns about the war against Iraq. But taking a unilateral decision to move troops into a neighbouring country is no way to deal with them. If all of Iraq's neighbours started taking international law into their own hands and began a process of direct military intervention in the Arab country, the result would be disastrous for regional stability and security. It would mean a breakdown of law and order in the region." Alon Liel Maariv, Israel, March 24 "America's acceptance of a Kurdish state would be ... fatal for the historic alliance between Washington and Ankara, a heavy blow to the integrity of Nato, and imperil Israeli-Turkish relations ... The key is with Ankara, not Washington. Turkey will have to withdraw its objections to an independent Kurdish state, even if that seems impossible at the moment. The US will need Europe's help in this. Only the prize of full EU membership will make it possible for Turkey to agree to the formation of Kurdistan. But it is hard to see the Bush administration's clumsy diplomacy resolving this soon." |
| Posted by:Kerry |
| #7 Apologies for submitting to wrong article - this should have gone under 'McCaffrey' but I stand by my comments regarding Turkey. Quite an appropriate name now, don't ya think? |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2003-03-25 13:43:31 |
| #6 I've been baffled by Turkey for a while. Now I realize they're just bungling. Golly, Erdogan, don't be a Mr. Bungles. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-03-25 13:18:01 |
| #5 I've always liked McCaffrey, and here he brings up some very good points. Iraq is not the place to be experimenting with the new way of fighting. Already, it looks like events are conspiring to allow / force us to bring in more troops for Baghdad. If I remember correctly, 4ID equip transited the Suez 2 days ago. But, I also think that 3000 casualties is high, unless the Iraqs are able to really hit us with Bio/Chem cap. The bottom line here is that Turkey strung us along or those 4ID troops would be there right now. Sorry Murat, but that's the truth of it - and we WILL remember that. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2003-03-25 11:47:06 |
| #4 Yo, Ankara... What part of BACK THE FUCK UP didn't you understand? |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-03-25 10:17:42 |
| #3 I support regime-change in Turkey also. |
| Posted by: g wiz 2003-03-25 08:09:06 |
| #2 "The key is with Ankara, not Washington". Good thinking, Maariv. You can be sure that Turkey and the EU will continue to show the concern and support for Israel that they have in the past. What a backstabbing dolt. |
| Posted by: becky 2003-03-25 05:45:44 |
| #1 Were those first two editorials before our warning shot "stray" bombs? I can't believe they think we're not serious. |
| Posted by: someone 2003-03-25 03:43:51 |