STAR- Columnist Murat Celik comments on Turkey’s stance on the Iraq crisis. A summary of his column is as follows:
‘I would like you to know that the US doesn’t need full cooperation from Turkey any longer. What we expect from Turkey now is to grant us overflight rights as soon as possible.’ These words came out of US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s mouth during a recent telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
Although Turkey has very understandable concerns, Ankara’s reluctant stance on the Iraq crisis was regarded by the Bush administration as foot-dragging in a vain attempt to avert a possible US-led war. That’s why Bush’s people finally told Ankara that the US no longer needed to station its troops at Turkey’s military facilities.
Some interpret this development as Turkey’s failure, but others see it as a new strategy for the Bush administration. The former group believes that Turkey will have to face severe economic consequences for its choice in the future. The latter says that the US would never give up on Turkey and will again request stationing its troops on Turkish soil in the very near future.
What about behind-the-scenes discussions in Ankara? Prominent political figures are stressing that Turkey must enter northern Iraq to control future developments which could likely culminate with the establishment of an independent Kurdish state. For now, the terrorist group PKK/KADEK is staying silent. However, intelligence sources state that anti-Turkish movements in northern Iraq are being backed by this organization. The PKK is putting pressure on the two main Kurdish opposition leaders, Barzani and Talabani, to lobby against Turkey’s entrance into northern Iraq.
What is happening in Ankara right now? Besides those politicians occupied with day-to-day politics, there are also other civilian and military institutions busy developing policies and strategies in line with the latest international developments, along with a close eye on our nation’s long-term interests. During such a critical period, we need to take a closer look at what these institutions are doing:
* Analyzing and evaluating past events, * Trying to consider all the long-term outcomes of the latest developments, * Taking into consideration every possibility, Drawing up possible worst- and best-case scenarios.
Therefore, they are trying to minimize the risk of our encountering any ‘unpleasant surprises.’ We need to listen very carefully what these institutions will say in the future and what they will recommend that Ankara do.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION