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February 29, 2008
News
What we need is Turkish – Kurdish brotherhood
Kurdishaspect.com - By M.Takman
From the Turkish point of view, it is important that Kurdish independence in Iraq not go beyond what already has been achieved. Ankara does not want the Kurds in Turkey to begin demanding their own autonomy – or even statehood.
Neighboring states Syria, Iraq, and Iran are on the same page – none of them want to see the autonomy in Iraqi Kurdistan transform itself into the nucleus of a future Kurdish state.
The three countries, Turkey, Iran and Syria, value their territorial integrity and are willing to cooperate against Kurdish aspirations for sovereignty. This desire at times surpasses the imperatives of Turkey's NATO membership and its close relationship with Washington. Since Turkey's reluctant cooperation with the United States in the Iraq war in 2003 and the rise of anti-American sentiment in the Turkish population, ties with Washington are now often viewed with suspicion by many in Ankara.
Gates had his work carved out for him in Turkey and Iraq. Turkey could clear the air by announcing a limited scope of goals and objectives with regards to the current hostilities, and stick to them, preventing "mission creep."
It would also help if Turkey publicly renounced any ambitions to acquire parts of Iraqi soil, including the Kirkuk oilfields. Finally, Ankara could encourage already-thriving trans-border relations between the Turkish and Iraqi Kurds, a dynamic which would dampen the desire for outright Kurdish statehood and independence.
While fighting terrorism is the right and duty of any country, treading with caution when walking through a gunpowder warehouse with a burning candle in hand may be a good idea.
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