STAR- Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli writes on the establishment of a Kurdish federation in northern Iraq. A summary of her column is as follows:
The Turkish National Football Team advanced to the second round of the World Cup, and normal life came to a standstill in Turkey. Everybody’s talking about yesterday’s match and also dreaming of our being the world champions. However, the world doesn’t live on football alone.
In fact, Turkey has a prime minister who has recently been suffering from serious health problems. This country has also other serious matters tending to, such as the Kurdish problem, the Cyprus issue and our bid for full European Union membership. That’s why this commentary is written for people who are bored with football.
There have been signs for some time that Kurds are trying to establish an independent state in northern Iraq, such as establishment of Kurdish banks, televisions and radio stations, universities at which Kurdish history and culture are taught... A Kurdish state is in fact now being established in northern Iraq. However, due to the strong opposition by Turkey, Syria and Iran, this state is likely to be a federation rather than an independent state.
Here is the story of the Kurdish federation:
The first meeting between the United States and the Iraqi Kurds took place at the US State Department in Washington last November. The Kurdish representatives asked the US officials: ‘Are you planning to conduct a military intervention in Iraq?’ The US officials responded: ‘Let’s assume that we will, what will your plans be then?’
Afterwards, the Iraqi Kurds told the US officials about their plan to establish an independent state in Iraq after Saddam is overthrown.
A second such meeting was held in Berlin this April.
The Kurdish representatives explained the details of their plan for the post-Saddam period: The new state to be established would consist of two federations, a Kurdish federation in the north and an Arabian federation in the south. The Kurdish federation would be independent with respect to its domestic policies of education, the economy and culture. It would also have the right to establish contacts with other countries.
What about Turkey’s stance on this issue? Turkey isn’t against the establishment of a federation in northern Iraq. Turkey has always advocated the self-determination right of the Iraqi nation. If Iraqi society wants a federation to be established, then it must be established.
However, Ankara is opposed to the idea that the new state should be formed on an ethnic base. Turkey is warning the world that two federations dividing the Iraqi nation into two groups, such as Arabs and Kurds, would lead to serious problems and disputes in the future, which would in turn plunge the region into instability once again. The second important point which Turkey opposes is the inclusion of Kirkuk in the territories of the Kurdistan federation. Turkey argues that not only Kurds but also the entire Iraqi nation should benefit from the oil reserves in Kirkuk and Musul.
Turkey has already conveyed its concerns on the above points to US officials. However, the message conveyed by the US is always the same: ‘We understand your concerns, and we will take them into consideration if we decide to intervene militarily in Iraq.’
Dreaming of being a world champion is of course joyful; however, the world is still continuing to turn.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION