BY TUFAN TURENC
HURRIYET- We need to accept this reality about Iraq: The strategic partner of the US is no more Turkey, but the Iraqi Kurds. Thus, Turkey can't carry out an operation against Iraq like it did many times in the past because the US is there.
The US officials are already warning Turkey not to carry out an operation against northern Iraq. Two or three days ago, former US Chief of General Staff Gen. Richard Myers implied that Turkish soldiers could come up against US forces in a possible operation against Iraq.
Massoud Barzani, the Kurdish leader in northern Iraq also knows this well and threatens Turkey by getting courage from this. In fact, Barzani made these remarks to Al-Arabiyah Television on Feb. 26, but the TV broadcast this speech six weeks later, on April 7. Ankara became aware of Barzani's remarks then.
After Barzani's provocative and arrogant remarks led frustration in Ankara, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, in a flurry, wanted to calm the anger in Turkey by telling to the Turkish officials that he was sorry for these remarks. In fact, this is a game which two Kurdish leaders have been playing for years. In this theatre, Barzani is generally the bad man, attacking Turkey with hostile statements. Talabani generally tries to soften the atmosphere after Barzani.
They assume that they are distracting and deceiving Turkey with this method, but they don't know that Turkey is not a country to be distracted and deceived.
It is well understood how right Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit was by saying that he wouldn't negotiate with the Kurdish leaders because they support the terrorist PKK.
Barzani's remarks that if Turkey intervenes in Kirkuk, then they would intervene in Diyarbakir is a direct threat to Turkey. However, it's a more dangerous provocation to tell that they would protect the rights of 30 million Kurds in Turkey (he makes up the figure) against Turkmen in Iraq. How can Barzani think that he has the right to protect our Kurdish-origin citizens? They are citizens of this country and their ancestors died for this country. They shed blood for the independence of Turkey in the Independent War.
They are citizens of such a big country as Turkey. Protection of a tribal leader such as Barzani means to insult them. He will give the account of this. In near future, the US, which shelters them, will have to leave the region. Then, where will Barzani, who betrayed his country, take shelter to get rid of the anger of the Iraqi nation?
There is no doubt that he would come to Ankara to lick its boots and say that he is sorry. We will see this together.