The Question of Turkey as an ally in the War on Terror
October 15th 2007 01:16
The Question of Turkey as an ally in the War on Terror
Just as the road to Russia has usually been through Poland, Turkey is crucial to any support for the occupation. In a tactical sense the occupation would frustrated without the co-operation of either of this country. Turkey is allowing US planes to fly in troops and supplies. So upsetting Turkey would in fact mean that the war in Iraq would be much harder to fight.
The problem with the current regime in Turkey is that they are very easy to upset. Laws passed recently make it illegal to insult Turkishness, meaning that authors and journalists are facing court for doing little more than criticizing the government. In one case it was for calling the slaughter in Armenia genocide. In the West this sort of control over opinion is called censorship but for a ruthless pragmatist such concerns are glossed over because Turkey is meant to be our friend. This also the case with Pakistan where the dictatorship of Musharif as ignored as long as he keeps supporting US forces.
Here is an example of the news laws in action:
The war in Iraq has been as frustrating for Turkey as it has been a boon. Thousands of US military planes and the financial support has created some local economic benefits. Yet it is the question of the Kurdish separatism that created the greatest problems. At the outset of the invasion of Iraq it was made clear by Turkey that it would not tolerate a separate Kurd nation on their doorstep. Talk of breaking Iraq into separate ethnic based nations is not without huge negative consequences. Turkey would see this as a protected base from which its own Kurdish ethnic separatists could fund and stage military and terrorist actions.
Even with Kurdistan still being part of Iraq the tensions and violence is still escalating from the Kurdish separatist movement called the PKK. A recent PKK attack killed up to nine Turkish soldiers and it has led to conclusion that the attacker came from over the border in Iraq. Turkey’s foreign minister has described said that the ‘PKK are to Turkey what Al Qaida is to America.’ The simple understanding is that if the US can chase terrorists anywhere on Earth why can’t Turkey chase them in Iraq?
Tanks are currently being ordered to the border near Iraq with the rhetoric of a possible Turkish incursion increasing. Such an action would frustrate the Bush Administration that has used Kurdistan as the shining example of Iraq could be. Yet as long as the PKK can find a safe haven in Iraq there will be tension and cross border attacks. Whether Turkey carries through with any attack may be dependent upon the escalation in PKK attack and inability for the Coalition forces to stop the PKK from operating in Iraq.
The recent non-binding bill passed in the US to recognize the massacre in Armenia as genocide has created a diplomatic row with Turkey recalling its ambassador as a result. It is unlikely that this will lead to the closure of US bases in Turkey but it will increase the rhetorical noise level a few notches. In a few weeks time the matter will most likely be forgotten outside of a few angry diplomats.
The real threat to the US-Turkey alliance was sewn in the invasion of Iraq because it opened the possibility of a separate oil rich Kurdish nation. Such a solution is something that may cause Turkey to conduct its own invasion to ensure that this state does not include parts of Turkey.
Just as the road to Russia has usually been through Poland, Turkey is crucial to any support for the occupation. In a tactical sense the occupation would frustrated without the co-operation of either of this country. Turkey is allowing US planes to fly in troops and supplies. So upsetting Turkey would in fact mean that the war in Iraq would be much harder to fight.
The problem with the current regime in Turkey is that they are very easy to upset. Laws passed recently make it illegal to insult Turkishness, meaning that authors and journalists are facing court for doing little more than criticizing the government. In one case it was for calling the slaughter in Armenia genocide. In the West this sort of control over opinion is called censorship but for a ruthless pragmatist such concerns are glossed over because Turkey is meant to be our friend. This also the case with Pakistan where the dictatorship of Musharif as ignored as long as he keeps supporting US forces.
Here is an example of the news laws in action:
A court in Turkey Thursday convicted Arat Dink, editor of the Armenian newspaper Agos [media website, in Turkish] and son of the late Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, of violating Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which bans insults against Turkish identity. Arat Dink's conviction stems from his decision to re-publish remarks written by his father before he was murdered in Istanbul in January. Hrant Dink was tried and then put up for retrial for allegedly "insulting Turkishness" by writing about the killings of an estimated million Ottoman Armenians in the early 20th century.
Source: Really Long LinkThe war in Iraq has been as frustrating for Turkey as it has been a boon. Thousands of US military planes and the financial support has created some local economic benefits. Yet it is the question of the Kurdish separatism that created the greatest problems. At the outset of the invasion of Iraq it was made clear by Turkey that it would not tolerate a separate Kurd nation on their doorstep. Talk of breaking Iraq into separate ethnic based nations is not without huge negative consequences. Turkey would see this as a protected base from which its own Kurdish ethnic separatists could fund and stage military and terrorist actions.
Even with Kurdistan still being part of Iraq the tensions and violence is still escalating from the Kurdish separatist movement called the PKK. A recent PKK attack killed up to nine Turkish soldiers and it has led to conclusion that the attacker came from over the border in Iraq. Turkey’s foreign minister has described said that the ‘PKK are to Turkey what Al Qaida is to America.’ The simple understanding is that if the US can chase terrorists anywhere on Earth why can’t Turkey chase them in Iraq?
Tanks are currently being ordered to the border near Iraq with the rhetoric of a possible Turkish incursion increasing. Such an action would frustrate the Bush Administration that has used Kurdistan as the shining example of Iraq could be. Yet as long as the PKK can find a safe haven in Iraq there will be tension and cross border attacks. Whether Turkey carries through with any attack may be dependent upon the escalation in PKK attack and inability for the Coalition forces to stop the PKK from operating in Iraq.
The recent non-binding bill passed in the US to recognize the massacre in Armenia as genocide has created a diplomatic row with Turkey recalling its ambassador as a result. It is unlikely that this will lead to the closure of US bases in Turkey but it will increase the rhetorical noise level a few notches. In a few weeks time the matter will most likely be forgotten outside of a few angry diplomats.
The real threat to the US-Turkey alliance was sewn in the invasion of Iraq because it opened the possibility of a separate oil rich Kurdish nation. Such a solution is something that may cause Turkey to conduct its own invasion to ensure that this state does not include parts of Turkey.
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