MILLIYET- Columnist Derya Sazak comments on the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s stance on the Iraq crisis. A summary of his column is as follows:
The countdown for an Iraq war began in earnest when US President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar issued a final ultimatum to Saddam Hussein Monday night from the Azores, demanding that Iraq’s leader leave his country by Wednesday or face the military might of the US and its allies.
There is no doubt that the US and Britain are both determined to attack Iraq without waiting for another UN resolution. The war might be averted if and only if Saddam accepts going into exile, a development which would inevitably culminate with a regime change in the country. However, some believe that even if Saddam accepts disarming Iraq and relinquishing power, the US will never waver from its plans to send troops in the region.
We are currently facing a truly strange picture:
Although the Turkish Parliament recently rejected a proposal authorizing US troops to be stationed at Turkey’s military facilities, the Bush administration is even now stockpiling ammunition in Iskenderun and continuing to rent land in the region for logistical purposes. But if Turkey and the US have failed to reach an agreement on such a proposal, why is the US still continuing its military preparations within our territories?
The government’s stance and actions right now are quite baffling!
An Iraq war is looming, but new Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan prefers to busy himself with the government program by meeting with the members of the old Cabinet. Due to such misguided policies, yesterday the stock markets plummeted and interests and foreign exchange rates skyrocketed.
The cost of proposal negotiations between the Bush administration and our government has been quite high. Since Erdogan failed to keep his promises, US Secretary of State Colin Powell recently stated that he was not sure what the Bush administration was going to do about a financial assistance package for Turkey. “I’m not sure whether the aid package would be brought onto the agenda even if the Turkish Parliament approves the second proposal,” said Powell. Consequently, foreign investors have once again lost their confidence in the Turkish markets.
Since Erdogan and Gul rejected US financial assistance, they will have to find new resources to run the Turkish economy. Maybe the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is trying to indirectly persuade the Parliament by pointing out how a US-led Iraq war without Turkey’s support could harm the country. We also know that the Turkish Army doesn’t want to lose its ties with the US Army, since it is fearful of the prospect of an independent Kurdish state being established in northern Iraq in the postwar period.
As a matter of fact, Ankara’s political circles believe that once the US attack begins, the government will present a second proposal to the Parliament. Then the proposal will be discussed even before the government program and vote of confidence.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION