Iraq And The Turkomans

SABAH- Retired Ambassador Surkru Elekdag writes on US policy towards Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:
All the indications point to Iraq following Afghanistan as the next US target in its global war against terror. In fact the 'axis of evil' identified by President Bush in his State of the Union speech laid the groundwork for a strike against Iraq. In his speech to the US Congress and the nation, President Bush employed a harsh language in defining Iran, North Korea and Iraq as the 'axis of evil' and stated that these states could give the weapons in their hands to terrorists, or use them against the US and its allies as blackmail or in order to attack it. Commenting that the US could not stand idly by and wait for disaster to strike and would therefore take protective measures, President Bush said that they were determined to act with or without the help of their allies. Although it is determined to overthrow Saddam's regime, the US doesn't have a clear idea of how to accomplish this or with what methods. It seems that the Bush administration is considering three alternatives. The first is to topple Saddam with a covert operation. Such a plan has to foresee an alternative to Saddam, with a new leader who is ready to act in harmony with the US and does not pose a threat to the region. The second alternative is to carry out a strategy in Iraq similar to the recent one in Afghanistan. The third alternative is to use armored forces and the active participation of Turkey in this operation. If the US cannot find the opportunity to use the first alternative, it may resort to the other two, or a mixture of both. In that case, Washington will request from us the use of Incirlik Airbase. Considering the state of affairs at present, it seems hard for Ankara to reply in the negative. The point I would like to stress is that with Turkey opening its bases to the US, it cannot remain indifferent to a military operation against Iraq. Such a stance makes Barzani and Talabani the de facto allies of the US, and will give them a say in the political structuring post-Saddam. Therefore, Turkey has to have a say in the preparation of plans being laid against Iraq and what kind of a regime will be imposed after Saddam. In particular, Turkey must get concrete guarantees that Iraq's Turkomans will have politically equal rights with its Arabs and Kurds. In an operation against Iraq, other Muslim countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and other Arab states must be expected to participate. If there is an operation in the region, Turkey will be harmed economically by it whether it participates or not. The important task is to formulate a strategy which could lead to the least harm and the most benefit.

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION