Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal called on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to convene a closed parliamentary session to debate the situation in Iraq, including developments around Kirkuk and cross-border security concerns.
Baykal argued that parliamentary authorization for deploying troops had previously been granted but went unused and has since lapsed. He urged the government to seek fresh authorization, saying Türkiye needed a legal foundation to back its stated positions on regional security.
The CHP leader criticized Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul for voicing complaints about Iraq without taking concrete action, arguing that Türkiye should conduct foreign policy befitting its regional weight and influence rather than, in his words, "always hoping and complaining."
Baykal contended that had Türkiye moved military forces south of the Iraqi border in the period before and after the 2003 war, current problems including PKK infiltration, demographic changes in Kirkuk, and the humiliation of Turkish soldiers could have been avoided. He said the government disregarded CHP warnings at the time.
He also clarified that his current position does not conflict with CHP's rejection of the 1 March 2003 motion, which he said concerned the stationing of American troops on Turkish soil, a measure the party opposed while supporting the deployment of Turkish forces abroad.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in January 2007, in its own words.