U.S. Military Buildup’s Results In Terms Of Turkey

HURRIYET- Columnist Ferai Tinc comments on the US military buildup’s results for Turkey. A summary of her column is as follows:
Those who think that Turkey will be able to escape the Kurdish issue without taking any steps thanks to the Turkish soldiers’ acting together with the US soldiers in Iraq are wrong. The Pentagon administration stated last week that the post-Saddam period in Iraq would be governed by three US governors. Two retired generals will work on the north and south and a female governor in Baghdad and around. However, until all the regional arrangements, envisaged by Bush, including the reformation of the political institutions of the country, ensuring the stability and the solution of the Middle East problem are made, the power of the US and British soldiers will continue their military existence. Some part of this power will be within the country and the some will be in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. How long this power will stay isn’t certain. Concerning the issue, the US says, ‘Not a single day more than necessary.’ In other words, the region will be under a broad US umbrella until Washington determines its policies.
Taking Iraq and around under the US’ umbrella doesn’t mean that a Kurdish state will be established absolutely. However, it doesn’t guarantee that it won’t be established, either. This umbrella will prevent the regional forces’ acting unilaterally. It doesn’t seem to be possible that Kurds, who want to establish an independent state and those who are against the Kurds’ independent state will carry out a long-term armed operation ‘against each other’ or ‘alone.’ The US’ political existence based on the military force in the region will get such a thing difficult, even impossible. This is valid for Turkey, as well as for the terrorist organizations which want to make Turkey accept their requests despotically. However, we must note that Washington, which considers ensuring stability in the Middle East among the US national security’s important matters in priority, has to take the will of the regional nations into consideration because there will be a process of creating a new nation in Iraq, which will be ensured by the political consensus to be reached by Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens and other ethnic groups. This is the good scenario. However, Turkey’s political contribution will be necessary in the pessimistic scenario, envisaging that the country will be divided ethnically. An armed conflict between Turks and Kurds will be given permission only for deepening the crisis in the region, marginalizing the parties and creating a more effective opportunity of operation.
Should permission be given for the US buildup in Turkey? This isn’t so important for Turkey. Yes, it might be given. Then the process that has already begun would be accelerated. It’s important that everybody should burden the responsibility of what he defends. It’s not suitable to connect the proposal to preventing the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq. The political words except for the economic compensation and bilateral military agreements don’t have a legal value and binding characteristic in the long term. We should be careful about the Turkish soldiers’ entrance into northern Iraq. Certain circles say that if the proposal isn’t passed, permission won’t be given to the Turkish soldiers for an operation alone. If it’s passed, will the Turkish soldiers be able to carry out an operation as it wishes? No. At this point, only Turkey’s cross-border existence will increase and the flow of refugees will be controlled at the border. Turkish soldiers will be in ‘cooperation’ with the US soldiers there. The framework of this cooperation isn’t known yet. However, the cooperation doesn’t present any alternative of military ‘solution’ in any issue. The US’ military existence doesn’t provide Turkey with any other alternative.

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