BY FIKRET BILA
MILLIYET- Columnist Fikret Bila comments on the role of the PKK/KADEK issue in Ankara’s decision on sending soldiers to Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:
The US’ stance on the terrorist group PKK/KADEK will loom large in Turkey’s decision whether or not to send its soldiers to Iraq. Ankara expects that PKK/KADEK won’t be a threat to Turkey. It wants to see Washington’s stance. The recent repentance law was passed as a result of negotiations with the US. It’s expected that the PKK/KADEK’s presence particularly in northern Iraq will diminish and that Washington’s policy will be influential in this process.
Will Ankara base its decision to send soldiers to Iraq on the problem of PKK/KADEK? In other words, will it put this forth as a precondition? Concerning this issue, Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said, ‘No. We don’t consider it a precondition. However, of course we have certain expectations. The reason for us to be there is PKK/KADEK terrorists. The US knows this too. If this problem is solved, there would be no need for us to send soldiers there.’
Ankara doesn’t want the PKK/KADEK to be a threat to Turkey. This is the most important reason for our interest in Iraq and northern Iraq. However, Ankara doesn’t consider the issue of PKK/KADEK a precondition for its sending troops to Iraq. Ankara is looking at contributing to Iraq’s reconstruction, including sending soldiers, from a broader point of view. Ankara isn’t trying to link its military presence in northern Iraq to its sending stabilization force troops elsewhere in the country. Thus, Ankara isn’t turning the PKK/KADEK issue completely over to the US, in other words, it will continue to implement its own policies. Ankara is also open to cooperate with the US concerning this issue.