BY YALCIN DOGAN
HURRIYET- Columnist Yalcin Dogan comments on the status of a possible Turkish troop deployment in Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:
Last week US civilian administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer was called back to Washington, DC for a meeting at the Pentagon, and then he returned to Baghdad with Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. However, rockets greeted Wolfowitz in Iraq. Meanwhile, a critical decision on Turkey was made during the Pentagon meeting. ‘Iraq doesn’t want Turkish soldiers,’ Bremer told the gathering. ‘Not only the Kurds, but also the Shiites, and even the Sunni Arabs are opposed to Turkish deployment. Even the Turkmen member of Iraq’s Governing Council voted against Turkish soldiers. The harsh reaction in Iraq is the result of imperialist pressure dating back from the Ottoman era.’ In addition, certain modern factors must be taken into account, because each religious sect and ethnic group has its own agenda.
Following this analysis, the final evaluation which emerged is as follows: ‘If Turkish soldiers enter Iraq, an already fragile situation will teeter towards collapse.’ It would be better if Turkish soldiers don’t go to Iraq: this is the decision which was reached at the Pentagon meeting. However, instead of telling this to Ankara directly, Washington is using hints. For example, inviting a new team from Ankara to Baghdad and drawing up reports, making observations again, etc.
The US is making difficulties for Turkey. However, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) already passed a motion for troop deployment in Iraq. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan even said, ‘The US wants it, that’s why we passed this motion.’ When the US wanted Turkish soldiers, we passed the motion making this possible, but when Iraq expressed opposition, Turkish soldiers can’t go there. What an independent national foreign policy! It’s demeaning for Turkey, but who cares? However, on the very day Parliament was about to pass the motion, the news came to Ankara that Iraq’s Governing Council didn’t want our troops, and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) requested that the authorization be cancelled. However, the AKP ignored this news and predicted blithely, ‘We talked with Washington, the situation will be better.’ Well, of course it’s getting better (!). The motion passed by Parliament is evidence of the failure of the AKP’s policies.