BY ILNUR CEVIK
TAT-ERBIL
Iraq is about to be run by an elected Parliament and an administration appointed by it. There is a growing possibility that a Kurd will be the president of this country and a Shiite Arab will be its prime minister, thus ending the decades-long dominance of minority Arab Sunnis.
This is a historic point in the history of Iraq that should be well evaluated and exploited by Turkey.
It is no secret that Turkey has never had a proper policy regarding Iraq or the Iraqi Kurds. Now is the time to reverse this situation and set the record straight.
All Iraqis are our friends and brothers through a number of common bonds ranging from blood ties to culture and religion. The Kurds of Iraq are our relatives and comrades who fought on our side against the PKK. The Iraqi Arabs are our neighbors and brothers whose sufferings over the years have been our own.
Ankara has made some serious mistakes in the past. It has tried to play on the differences between Kurdish parties in the hope of stalling them in their quest for more self-rule. Some power circles in Turkey tried to play a pro-Saddam game, encouraging terrorists and even those who wanted to create havoc in Iraq. Ankara did not try to unite the Turkmen in Iraq and created more divisions among them by trying to promote the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF). The Turkmen divisions were reflected in a sorrowful manner in the latest Iraqi elections. Our people did not know about the Turkmen Shiite reality where these people are pro-Iran and have nothing to do with Turkey.
Some people in Ankara looked down upon the Kurdish leaders as “a handful of tribal chiefs” and now have to face them as newly powerful politicians of Iraq.
Now Turkey has to change its negative policies and start treating the Iraqis in general with more understanding. It has to embrace the Turkmen in general and stop differentiating between their different factions.
Turkey should understand that the Kurdish leaders are determined to mend fences with Turkey unconditionally. We have been told from the most authoritative people that the Kurds want to open a new and fruitful chapter in their relations with Turkey based upon friendship and brotherhood. They want to cooperate with Turkey and become a bridge between Ankara and Baghdad. Turkey should not pass up this golden opportunity.
Besides all this, Turkey should forge close ties with the Shiite and Sunni Arabs and show to them that when the U.S. leaves the area it will be on hand to help its Iraqi brothers and sisters in every possible way. Ankara should help to establish closer dialogue with the Iraqi groups.
Turkey should be active in every possible way in northern Iraq and repeat this all over the country, provided the security situation improves.
This is what is expected of a major power like Turkey in our area.