Mosul And Kirkuk

SABAH- Retired Ambassador Sukru Elekdag writes on the bargaining over northern Iraq in Washington. A summary of his column is as follows:
Same interesting bargaining is now taking place in Washington. The Bush administration is searching for a groundwork of cooperation with Kurdish leaders in order to topple Saddam Hussein. The Kurdish side is trying to get a definite promise from the US for the formation of a Kurdish federal state including the Kirkuk and Mosul regions, which have rich oil resources in return for their support. Both Barzani and Talabani have strived to seem sincere in supporting the territorial integrity of Iraq, and furthermore that they are not working for independence, and they are trying to give the impression that they are not forming a front against Turkey. Both of them know that a small Kurdish state lacking economic resources and no outlet to the sea has no chance of survival. However, if they are able to snatch the Mosul-Kirkuk region from Iraq and obtain rich oil resources in addition to getting the support of the Western states, it is certain that these two leaders will get together and establish the independent Kurdish state. It is understood that the Kurdish leaders do not wish Turkish troops to participate in the operation against Saddam. Their reason for this is that if Turkey actively participates in the operation, this would provoke an Iranian intervention which would lead to chaos in the region. This stance of the Kurdish leaders clearly demonstrates their intentions. The reason why they are defending such an argument is that, by taking the frontlines in an operation to overthrow Saddam, they will be able to both achieve the political status they want and obtain the oil reserves in Iraq during a political restructuring process in the country ... In parallel to this bargaining, the Kurdish lobby in Washington is continuing its efforts to influence American public opinion. In fact, we learnt that the conference held by the ‘Mustafa Barzani Global Kurdish Studies Center’ in Washington has been a successful instrument in the propaganda waged for a federal state for Kurds in the political future of Iraq and ensuring that a Kurdish administration gets Kirkuk. All this shows that it is vitally important that Turkey not leave the field to Barzani and Talabani if the US launches an operation against Iraq. For, in such a case it won’t be able to have any chance to prevent the arrangements it doesn’t like or defend the interest of the Turkomans. These assessments demonstrate that the fate of Mosul and Kirkuk are as crucial as that of Cyprus for Turkey. That is why Prime Minister Ecevit has said that the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq will be a cause for war. In addition, US Secretary of State Colin Powell was told during his visit to Ankara that if Iraq is divided and a Kurdish state is formed, Turkey would not accept the inclusion of the Mosul and Kirkuk regions within the borders of this state. However, all that is necessary for a state structure has been formed and a state is already ‘de facto’ established. Isn’t it time for the Ankara government to announce that the establishment of a Kurdish state will lead to the proclamation of an autonomous Turkoman region in Iraq?

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