BY SEMIH IDIZ
MILLIYET- The Iraq problem is forcing Washington to take steps which it should have taken some time ago. The latest UN resolution which aims at strengthening its role in Iraq is an important indicator of this. Another sign came in the recent remarks Washington 's Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad made to The Washington Post. Khalilzad said that Washington supports the resolution and wants to hold a conference of Iraq 's neighbors under UN auspices. Turkey is part of that group, which also includes Saudi Arabia , Iran , Kuwait , Jordan , and Syria . Its inclusion of Iran and Syria clearly shows the US desperation over Iraq . Khalilzad's saying that the US needs regional support to bring the Iraqis together, because it would be difficult for it to achieve this alone, also confirms this.
In this context, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's visit to Ankara last week takes on added importance, because Baghdad is trying to get used to the possibility of US forces withdrawing from Iraq . Iraqi officials know that if US forces leave their country they would face their neighbors, and they should have good relations with these countries. Maliki's statements in Ankara were welcome in Washington but bothered the Iraqi Kurds; on the other hand, the way Maliki's handshake with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran disturbed US President George W. Bush should be seen as part of this larger story.
It's clear that among Iraq 's neighbors, the most important countries in terms of security are Turkey , Iran , and Saudi Arabia . Syria , Jordan , and Kuwait have humanitarian importance, because most of the millions of refugees who fled Iraq found refuge in these countries. These developments also show that Turkey shouldn't see the Iraq problem as being confined to the PKK. If Ankara fails to see the whole picture, this makes it risk being excluded from the emerging new balances.
But these developments should give pause to the Iraqi Kurds, whose thoughts about the PKK have started to diverge from Washington 's. The way the PKK continues to take shelter in northern Iraq will make it hard for Turkey to contribute to stability in Iraq . This would in turn make it likelier that the Kurds, not Turkey , will grow isolated in the region. In fact, the Iraqi Kurds should know that their stance on the PKK makes things difficult for the US . So they should understand that they won't benefit from antipathy towards Turkey or the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).