Deniz Baykal, head of the Republican People's Party (CHP), accused both the United States and Türkiye of bearing responsibility for the ongoing partition of Iraq, telling reporters in Ankara that serious errors had been committed by both countries.
Baykal argued that Türkiye had harmed not only its own interests but those of the broader region through its handling of the Iraq situation. He warned that the same actors capable of past mistakes could repeat them.
The CHP leader stated that the US never invited Türkiye to conduct joint military operations in Iraq or its northern areas at any point during the conflict, and that no Turkish troop deployment was ever considered by Washington.
Baykal called on the government to convene parliament and seek fresh authorization for a potential military operation, noting that an earlier parliamentary mandate had never been exercised. He said the CHP was prepared to back the government on that measure.
He also indicated the party was considering introducing a formal motion requesting a general parliamentary debate on Iraq policy.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in January 2007, in its own words.