BY NASUHI GUNGOR
STAR- The countdown to next month's presidential election is ticking. Efforts to exacerbate an emerging political crisis are also continuing. Everybody has different expectations, which is natural. So they're putting their cards on the table in line with their expectations. But those who expect that developments will lead to a bigger crisis will be disappointed. We always confuse certain things with each other. Debates over the presidential election have nothing to do with the person to be elected, his wife's headscarf or the policy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Everybody is trying to ensure his position in the months to come. Let me say at once to avoid misunderstanding that I'm not talking about an inner-party debate. All of Turkey's sectors, groups and power centers are trying to see what role they will have and are angling themselves. We're overlooking many important meetings amidst the whirling debate. But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently held a very risky and important meeting. He met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Now, we say very tough words about the Iraq issue and make impassioned speeches. Nobody can dispute the rightness of our position, but it's not enough to be right. As the most important country in the region, we must produce a solution.
Erdogan has been laying out Turkey's position on this issue, particularly during his group speeches, since the beginning of the year. He warned everyone that we should avoid certain steps which could bring conflict, instead of looking for reconciliation. The US administration is emphasizing choices which would increase Ankara's concerns, instead of removing these concerns concerning this issue. Similarly, Kurdish groups and Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani are also continuing to make certain speeches which could worsen tension. In such an atmosphere, it would be easy to voice ineffectual words and threats, like certain Turks are doing. But let's not be unfair. By meeting with Talabani, Erdogan chose perhaps the most difficult alternative. This was also Turkey's highest-level contact to date with Talabani, who hasn't been invited to Turkey due to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's opposition. Some people stress that the meeting was held outside the territory of these two countries (at an Arab summit in Saudi Arabia). Talabani's proposal that a Turkish delegation can come to Kirkuk to examine public records concerning the issue might not produce a solution in the short term. However, the important thing is that such risks which are vitally important for Turkey have been taken at such a time. Those who want to squeeze Turkey in their borders are either unaware of the upcoming danger, or they're working for those trying to corner us.