MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the importance of dialogue on the Iraq issue. A summary of his column is as follows:
The latest pronunciations from Turkish government officials and political party leaders on developments in northern Iraq have sown confusion and concern among the public. Their words created the impression that Turkey was getting ready to occupy Iraq or deploy its soldiers with US troops to that country. The spur for these declarations was the drawing up by the two main Kurdish groups in northern Iraq -- the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) and Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) -- of a ‘federal’ draft constitution for ‘Iraqi Kurdistan.’ The announcement of this draft constitution caused anger and concern in Turkey. The high-ranking officials’ words, including those of the prime minister and defense minister, brought the possibility of Turkey taking direct military operation against northern Iraq onto the agenda. However, the Foreign Ministry and the military’s calmer and more temperate stance against the politicians’ harsh words proves that Turkey has no intention of carrying out an operation against Iraq at this stage, and that for now Ankara is only issuing timely warnings.
The news from northern Iraq has been exaggerated and furthermore caused unnecessary anxiety. But statements made earlier this week on CNN Turk by IKDP Representative in Ankara Safin Diyazi uncovered the following truths, as summarized by Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) Chairman Ozdem Sanberk, who appeared on the same program:
The constitution in question is for now just a draft. This draft will be open for discussion by all the various groups within Iraq (probably after Saddam is disposed of), and a new constitution covering all of Iraq will then be prepared. People are talking about a federation for the northern region, but this is being envisaged as part of a ‘united, democratic Iraq.’ In other words, this region breaking away from Baghdad and becoming an independent state is out of the question.
I wonder if the Kurds have any intentions besides these? For example, establishing not a ‘regional,’ but a federal ‘ethnic’ state and declaring their independence… As stated by Sanberk and former Foreign Minister Ilter Turkmen, people can nurture high hopes, but pipe dreams have no practical value. As long as Turkey, Iran, Syria, the Arab world and the US are opposed to the establishment of a Kurdish state in Iraq, such a development is flat-out impossible. And the Kurdish leaders know it.
Of course it’s very important for Turkey to express its concern and issue warnings, particularly concerning such sensitive issues as ‘ethnic structure’ and Kirkuk. However, it would be better if Turkey deals with this issue through a calm, un-anxious dialogue with Barzani and Talabani. It’s clear that Ankara’s squabble with the Kurdish leaders is unnecessary. These issues would be better resolved through calm diplomacy...
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION