Iraq: Turkey burning her finger

[kurdeng at aps.nl]

From: tabe at newsdesk.aps.nl
Subject: Re: Iraq: Turkey burning her fingers
Reply-To: kurdeng at aps.nl


May  4, 1995 by G.LANGE at LINK-GOE.comlink.apc.org

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THE BAGHDAD OBSERVER,  29. 03. 1995.  No. 8347.


                    *Turkey burning her fingers*


By Dr. Khudier A.al-Duleimi

The recent Turkish incursion inside Iraq is a serious violation of Iraq's
sovereignty and can not be acceptable under any pretext. It is true that
there is a security and authority vacuum in northern Iraq, but it is
equally true that Turkey is partly to blame for this vaccum. Had it
not for the Turkish harbouring of the so-called "hammer force" of the
US, Britain and France, the region could have enjoyed peace and stability
following the recovery by Iraqi forces of all the mayor cities in
northern Iraq.

But Turky allowed itself to be used as a springboard for the allied
forces to carry out their hostilities against Iraq from Turkish
territories. This being the case, Kurdish insurgents on both sides of
the borders felt encouraged to resume their terrorist and subversive
activities. Furthermore, Turkey over the last for years have become
supply routes to Iraqi Kurdish insurgents and have given them sanctuary
to propagate for their secessionist tendencies.

How can Turkey remain immune from such tendencies when it is a home to a
very sizable Kurdish population? Perhaps the Turkish authorities are
counting on US double-standard policy, but if events were to continue on
a the same pace then peoples of the West and the US will take to the
street in support of the Kurdish rebels then the Clinton administration
will find itself obliged to entertain US and western public opinions. One
assumes that Turkish officials need not be reminded of the numerous
occasions when US and western officials were forced to swallow their
words and turn their backs to their promises when things got worse.

Whatever, the special relationship between Turkey and the west, this
cannot change the fact that Turkey remains a Moslem nation that may be
accomodated within the European Union (EU). This is why Turkey's joining
of the ECC has been delayed till now.

Furthermore, US and western strategy is to destroy Islam and dismantle
all major powers, within the Islamic world and Turkey cannot be excluded
from this strategy. Many western and US commentators and politicians made
it clear on various occasions that following the death of communism Islam
has become enemy No. 1 for what is called the free world.

The carnage in Bosnia is part of this new US western approach towards the
Moslem world. The systematic cold blooded killing of innocent Moslem
civilians in Bosnia has been going on for over two years without provoking
any serious reaction from western and US governments, simply because
things are acceptable so long as the victims are Moslems.

So instead of burning her own fingers Turkey's right place is to lead
a prominent role in maintaining the territorial integrity of the region
rather than being used as a base for foreign presence that sparked
off the current security and political instability in the region.

A return to the early 1980s security arrangements between Turkey and Iraq
is a better gurantee to peace and stability in the region.

                              * * * * *

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