IPS/TURKEY/NOVEMBER 1992

[PeaceNet Middle East Team]

From: <pnmideast>
Subject: IPS/TURKEY/NOVEMBER 1992

/* Written 12:12 am  Nov 15, 1992 by newsdesk at igc.apc.org in igc:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "TURKEY: Syria, Iran and Turkey meet" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: TURKEY: Syria, Iran and Turkey meet to discuss Kurds and security


an inter press service feature

by nadire mater

istanbul, nov 13 (ips) -- the kurdish question and matters of
security are expected to be high on the agenda of a regional
foreign ministers meeting in ankara this weekend.

significantly, iraq has not been invited to attend the two-day
three-nation summit involving high-ranking officials from iran,
syria and turkey. saudi arabia had been invited, but subsequently
declined for reasons that have not been made public.

the snubbing of baghdad has raised consternation across borders
although the iraqi ambassador in ankara has tried to play down the
issue. last week raffi el tigriti formally asked the turkish
foreign ministry for an explanation on the issue, and apparently
got a satisfactory answer.

''we have no doubts concerning the goodwill of turkey,'' the
iraqi ambassador subsequently said. ''moreover they have reassured
us that they will keep us informed about the developments.''

but the iraqi daily 'babel' -- published by the family of iraqi
dictator saddam hussein was not as charitable: ''the sick men of
the crippled americans -- turkey, iran and syria -- are trying to
act out the american conspiracy against iraq. baghdad will be
able to defeat the attempts to violate its integrity.''

retired turkish diplomat, mahmut dikerdem, is also disappointed
that iraq was not invited. ''now iraq is completely justified in
its reactions. perhaps she was excluded, because the issue
involves, even if indirectly, 'poised hammer'.

indeed 'poised hammer' -- an allied force operation based in
south-eastern turkey -- as well as the kurdish situation, will be
the key topics of discussion on saturday and sunday.

last month's declaration of a kurdish state in northern iraq
and the subsequent civil war between iraqi kurds and turkish kurds
of the kurdistan workers party (pkk) guerrilla group, have raised
international concerns about the future of the minority kurdish
population in the region.

the turkish government -- itself anxious to get rid of the pkk
once and for all -- took the side of the iraqi kurds in the war,
and is continuing its crackdown even now in northern iraq and in
the south-eastern regions of turkey.

for the most part, the western world has looked on impassively
although the rapid deployment forces going by the name of 'poised
hammer' have from time made clear their presence with
reconnaissance flights over the disputed region.(more/ips)

turkey: syria, iran and turkey meet to discuss kurds and security(2-e)

turkey: syria (2)

made up of troops withdrawn from iraq after the gulf war, the
operation was set up in july, 1991, following several air attacks
by the saddam hussein regime on the besieged kurds.

the 2,000 strong operation includes u.s., french, british and
turkish fighter planes based in adana; as well as a 62-member
central coordination council in pirincilik, diyarbakir.   in all,
'poised hammer' has 48 foreign and eight turkish fighter planes at
its disposal, as well as 20 support aircraft and 10 helicopters.

the allied forces were initially scheduled to leave the region in
july, however, the turkish government agreed to allow the
operation to remain until dec 31.

the kurds have made it clear that they favour the presence of the
allied forces in the region, however, ankara is becoming
increasingly worried that the presence of the allied forces will
allow for more autonomy for the kurds of the region.

chief of general staff dogan gures was also unhappy with the
reconnaissance flights by the allied forces during the army's
crackdown on the pkk guerrillas.

similarly, gen oktay karasoy who is a member of the general staff
working in the plans and principles department, voiced his
concerns this week about the growing possibility of an independent
state with the prolonged stay of the allied forces.

at the same time he and others note that it would be against
turkey's interest -- relations-wise -- to ask the allied forces to
leave. dikerdem, the turkish diplomat observed: ''poised hammer
does more good than harm to the government. it is quite closely
linked with sustaining good relations with the united states.''

and speaking along similar lines, ex-u.s. ambassador to turkey,
morton abramowitz, was quoted this week in the turkish daily
'sabah' as saying: ''this is more of an ideological issue. the
stay of the poised hammer represents turkey's links to the western
world. therefore the removal of poised hammer will be perceived as
a choice ... against the west.''

nevertheless, asim karaomerlioglu, a political historian from
bogazici university stressed that turkey will not allow itself to
be viewed as a pawn of the west. ''in spite of close ties with the
west a relatively independent turkish attitude must not be
underestimated when national interests are at stake. the
intervention in cyprus is an example.''

karaomerlioglu adds: ''the security of its eastern borders have
always been an issue of maximum priority for turkey since the
establishment of the republic in 1923. and with its 10 million
kurds longing for self-determination, an independent kurdish state
neighbouring turkey on the east might be the last thing a turkish
statesman would want to hear about.''(end/ips/rp/nm/cpg/92)
~