BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)

Columnist Fikret Bila writes on the Turkish troop deployment issue. A summary of his column is as follows:

Our Parliament has authorized the deployment of troops to Iraq for a maximum of one year, leaving up to the government such critical decisions as the mission’s size, location and timing. Whether it will actually use this authority depends on the outcome of Ankara’s upcoming negotiations with Washington.

Delegations from both countries are set to soon begin talks to sign minutes of accord. The delegations were expected to sit down to negotiating table as soon as Parliament approved the motion on the issue. However, this didn’t happen. The Turkish side has been ready. Now we’re waiting for the American side to do the same.

The ball is in the US’ court. Since US forces have failed to establish peace and stability in the region, Washington needs our help.

Although Parliament’s decision has eased the US’s position internationally, our government has yet to make its final decision on the deployment. Post-approval debates, a backlash to the approval, the attack on our Baghdad Embassy … all seek to deter our government from actually sending the troops. The Iraqi Governing council, and particularly its Kurdish members, oppose our troop deployment in Iraq.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice recently stated that the Bush administration is trying to overcome certain problems on the deployment issue. As if Turkey is aching to send its troops to Iraq and the US is having to bend over backwards to satisfy Ankara! However, the truth is just the opposite. Let’s not miss the point: The US would never allow Turkish troop deployments if it didn’t really need it. Under these circumstances, seeing it as incumbent upon Turkey to immediately solve its problems with Iraq’s Kurds would be a mistake. Washington is acting as if Turkey were the problem. However, it is the Bush administration which must deal with such problems. Both the Governing Council and Iraq’s Kurds should bring their questions and problems to Washington. Let’s not forget that it’s the US, not Turkey, which is in need of urgent help …