BY SEMIH IDIZ
MILLIYET - Following the terrorist PKK attack on a military outpost in Hakkari last week, many have been discussing two different ways to get terrorist forces out of northern Iraq. One of them is the military option. According to this view, the PKK presence in northern Iraq can be ended only through comprehensive military operations. By the way, any regional forces who aid or turn a blind eye to terrorists should be punished or forced to change their ways. The second path is the diplomatic one. Under this view, all diplomatic possibilities should be pushed, and the support of the US, the central Iraqi government and the northern Iraqi regional administration to Turkey should be ensured for this. Actually, this second way has been tried before. In line with the first path - cross-border air and land operations - which has been partially taken, efforts have been made to involve all the relevant parties, along with steps for intelligence-sharing with the US and strategic cooperation with Baghdad. In addition, direct contacts have been made with the regional Kurdish administration. But the latest attack proved this to be insufficient.
Now Ankara has decided to accelerate these diplomatic efforts. The decisions taken at the latest high-level meetings concern this. One of these decisions concerns the triple security mechanism. Another is for holding direct contacts with the northern Iraqi regional administration. Meanwhile, President Abdullah Gul is due to pay a visit to Baghdad. In an atmosphere in which PKK attacks sow great anger and indignation, taking the diplomatic path is very brave. Obviously, with its latest attack, the PKK hoped to put Turkey at odds with the Iraqi government, the regional Kurdish administration, and the US. Ankara is being careful not to fall for this.
The direct meetings which are soon expected with Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of the northern Iraqi Kurdish regional administration, should be seen in this light. This won't be the first such meeting between Turkish officials and a Kurdish administrator. One was held in Baghdad in May 2007, and a three-point consensus was reached. The first concerned Kurdish leaders stopping their speaking and taking stances against Turkey. The second concerned the regional administration ending its blind eye towards terrorist PKK activities and its logistical support for the PKK. The third concerned holding joint operations when necessary. On the first point, great progress has been seen. Kurdish officials have done an about-face, and after the latest incident even stood openly for Turkey and against the PKK. But nothing solid has been seen on the second point. The upcoming meetings with Nechirvan Barzani will press on this point as well as the third point, seeking clear progress here.
Will the previously reached but unrealized consensus be followed this time? The Kurdish administration should know that this could be their last chance. Turkish leaders constantly say that they consider Iraqi Kurds friends, not enemies, and urge them to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. The Barzani administration is expected to see this as an opportunity to win Turkey's confidence, instead of trying to bargain. Now it's his duty to show this courage.