BY SOLI OZEL
SABAH- It's not easy to do an analysis in the midst of such sadness. The public is very angry, and an atmosphere which might trigger Turkish-Kurdish conflict is getting worse. Obviously, the terrorist PKK has been longing for such an atmosphere for a long time. After 13 soldiers were killed last weekend in the southeastern province of Sirnak, Turkey is under pressure to do something. This doesn't have to be a cross-border operation. But if, after all these incidents, Turkey doesn't take serious steps to hurt some or all the parties which treat it with such hostility, it won't be taken seriously and will lose its deterrent effect. But establishing this effect or a way to ensure the end of these attacks doesn't necessarily mean entering Iraq with a large number of troops. Proponents of this idea should be asked how much they understand the issues and are taking into account Turkey's interests. For, as every reasonable person says, the real source of PKK terrorism isn't northern Iraq. However, the terrorist PKK is being protected in northern Iraq and it's also being used as a trump card against Turkey.
Great states can't act hastily or emotionally. They don't have the luxury. More importantly, serious states can't constantly threaten others. If there is action to take, they do so. In addition, they tell the proper parties what sort of harm they can expect if expectations aren't met. In the current situation, obviously, the terrorist PKK is the target. But a move against it would also be felt by Iraq's Kurdish regional administration and the US. So no matter what the government decides to do, it should weigh the diplomatic and communication aspects. Whatever Turkey does, it should never allow its isolation from the international system. When debate over a cross-border operation was raging before this summer's elections, the British-based International Institute for Strategic Studies released a very comprehensive report. It mainly concluded that all the ways to solve the issue hadn't been tried yet and that if there's an operation, it should be done not with a soldier-heavy approach but one focused on technology and specialization. This is still true. Under current conditions, our entering northern Iraq with a large number of troops would mean being trapped by the terrorist PKK both politically and militarily and so inadvertently helping it.
Another step which might damage us would be limiting democracy within Turkey. Even if some people are complaining about the actions of the (pro-Kurdish) Democratic Society Party (DTP), closing it wouldn't solve anything but actually make thing worse. The DTP statement after the killing of 13 soldiers was positive. The party should be encouraged to maintain this stance and resist the pressure from the PKK and Europe. Finally, institutions in Turkey should make more serious efforts to resolve their differences on the fight against terrorism. This nation can't constantly bleed or lose its young people and hopes due to political conflicts among domestic institutions.