MILLIYET- Columnist Fikret Bila comments on the upcoming visit of US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers, expected next weekend. A summary of his column is as follows:
Washington is expecting US Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Richard Myers, during his visit to Turkey next weekend, to persuade the Turkish government to give a straightforward answer to the US demands on the Iraq issue.
According to diplomatic sources, Myers’ visit to the region carries great importance for the US, as it is trying to decide whether or not to open a front in northern Iraq. The US places a high premium on Turkey’s response to its demands, which explains the Bush administration’s recently stepped-up pressure on Turkey.
Let’s take a look at our domestic political situation ahead of Myers’ visit:
Our government is currently trying to buy time before giving a straight answer to US demands. Ankara has so far said neither ‘yes’ nor ‘no’ to the Bush administration.
Gen. Myers really cannot expect to receive an answer from his Turkish counterpart Gen. Hilmi Ozkok. Our political institutions should immediately develop an official Iraq policy to be conveyed to Ozkok. Otherwise, the only answer Myers will get from Ozkok will be along these lines: ‘The decision on the Iraq issue will be made by the Turkish government, not the army.’
Our government is still trying to find a peaceful solution. The members of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) are terribly confused, which is why they sometimes make contradictory remarks on the issue. For instance, on the one hand, the AKP government authorized US military officials to conduct inspections at our bases and ports, but then just this weekend, it also sent State Minister Kursat Tuzmen and an accompanying delegation of 300 to Baghdad. There Tuzmen met with Iraqi vice President Taha Yasin Ramazan, who made threatening statements against Turkey.
And what about the Turkish Army?
Although our government hasn’t developed a specific policy as yet, the Turkish Army is already preparing for war. Turkish and US military officials are working on war plans together. The US wants to interpret Turkey’s recent agreement to let US military officials carry out inspections at Turkish ports and airbases as a clear signal that the Turkish government will lend its full support during an Iraq war.
Despite assuming an anti-war stance, our government is seriously concerned about the consequences of any Iraq war which takes place without Turkey’s support. If its overtures are spurned by the Turkish government, the US is likely to withdraw its political and economic support for Turkey. The cost of such a development will definitely be high for us. The US might both support Kurdish groups in northern Iraq which want to establish their own independent state, which would be politically disastrous for our country. The Bush administration also has the power to manipulate international financial institutions, upon which our economy is greatly dependent.
This is the dilemma which the AKP government is currently dealing with. In fact, Ankara is truly in hot water. The clock is ticking and there’s little time left for our government to make its official decision. Not only the US but also our General Staff is waiting for the government to take a stand.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION