Turkey wants northern Iraq

Daily Times ^

[BlackJack]

‘Turkey demands control of Iraq from US’

By Owen Matthews, Sami Kohen and John Barry

ANKARA: Turkey is raising its price for allowing US forces to invade Iraq from its territory. In early negotiations with the United States, Ankara spoke of sending in Turkish troops to set up a “buffer zone” perhaps 15 miles deep along the Iraqi border. This would prevent a flood of Kurdish refugees from northern Iraq, the Turks said.

But now, Newsweek has learned, Turkey is demanding that it send 60,000 to 80,000 of its own troops into northern Iraq to establish “strategic positions” across a “security arc” as much as 140 to 170 miles deep in Iraq. That would take Turkish troops almost halfway to Baghdad. These troops would not be under US command, according to Turkish sources, who say Turkey has agreed only to “coordination” between US and Turkish forces.

Ankara fears the Iraqi Kurds might use Saddam’s fall to declare independence. Kurdish leaders have not yet been told of this new plan, according to Kurdish spokesmen in Washington, who say the Kurds rejected even the earlier notion of a narrow buffer zone. Farhad Barzani, the US representative of the main Kurdish party in Iraq, the KDP, says, “We have told them: American troops will come as liberators. But Turkish troops will be seen as invaders.”

The White House did not respond to requests for comment; officials elsewhere in the administration played down the Turkish demands as bargaining tactics: “We told them flat out, no.” But independent diplomatic sources in Ankara and Washington with knowledge of the US-Turkey talks say that while the precise depth of the “security zone” has still to be agreed, the concept is “pretty much a done deal,” as one observer put it.

These sources add that the main US concern has been that US, not Turkish, troops occupy the northern Iraqi cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, and that Turkish troops merely surround but not enter the heavily Kurdish cities of Erbil and Sulemaniye. To get Turkey’s assent to this, these sources say, the United States had to “cave” on its demand that Turkish troops be under US control.

Two days of tough negotiations in Washington last week failed to settle the other part of Turkey’s price: a multibillion-dollar economic package. Turkish PM Abdullah Gul is now threatening to delay the all-important vote in the Turkish Parliament to allow US deployments in Turkey. Pentagon officials acknowledge frustration at the problems Turkey’s bargaining poses for the US military buildup.

Turkish sources say that when Turkey’s Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis met with President Bush on Friday, the president warned that the United States might open a northern front against Iraq without Turkish participation. But military sources say that would be close to impossible.

“Turkey is playing hardball,” said Michael Amitay of the Washington Kurdish Institute. “But if the US agrees to these Turkish deployments, there is a real risk that the Kurds will start a guerrilla war against the Turkish troops.” —Newsweek

[AntiGuv]

The Kurds are in no position to seriously resist the Turkish military, even less so than they were in position to resist the Iraqi military (before no-fly zones). If Turkey is willing to engage a repeat of the guerrilla war they defeated in their own nation (with a much larger Kurdish minority) then the Turks would prevail.

[Jim Noble]

I agree, and I've been saying it for over a year.

"Iraq' makes no sense, we can't defend the indefensible. If the Turks help us, I would restore the former Ottoman vilayet of Mosul to them.

[ScholarWarrior]

Sounds like you're right that the issue is land/oil and the Kurds and money is being made out by the US to be the issue.

Hey, we're good at this PR thing, especially when our reporters don't go to Ankara.

On the issues as it goes, if the US gave lipservice to Turkish concerns about the Kurds, and the impression was received that the Turks could take northern oil fields, I can see how a serious misunderstanding could take place.

This could lead to a messy deal even after the US skips Turkey altogether & does it a differnet way.

The US can't allow Turkey to use this as a big land grab, particularly as the get-go. If true, it inflames the rest of the ME, as well as most of Eastern Europe. If pressed, the US would have to say no. If the Turkish military does it anyway, we now have a big problem.

[xm177e2]

This is a horrible idea. The Kurds are more democratic than the Turks, they've built up a little democracy in Northern Iraq and the idea that Turkey could come in and crush that is disgusting. Turkey has done enough to the Kurds already, if it tries to take any more of Kurdistan it will deserve every terrorist bomb it gets.

[ScholarWarrior]

You can read a_Turk's profile for the background. He has been cogent contributor for some time on Turkish issues at FR.

[a_Turk]

I think you're wrong Bob. I try to remind myself sometimes not to get too wrapped up in the moment..

[a_Turk]

>> my globe is going to be obsolete

LOL! I'll send you some tempora..

[Torie]

The idea of Turkish troops in the Kurd area profoundly disturbs me. A buffer zone is another matter. If that is the Turk demand, the US should if it possibly can, just wish Turkey a good day and do without them. Turkey attempting to quasi rule and annex the region or part of it would cause very serious negative consequences down the road. The US can't afford to go there, particularly if it is responsible for putting the pieces back together in Iraq which itself will be a daunting job without this added element.

[blam]

"But if Turkey takes a chunk of Iraq, my globe is going to be obsolete! What a bummer."

Your globe is safe. Iraq will not be particioned for the Kurds or Turks.

[a_Turk]

>> There are a bunch of greedy ba$tard$ in that region.

And when you show up there'll be even more..

[Revolting cat!]

$500 gifts from work? I want that kinda job. In any event, if Turkey doesn't grab a chunk of Iraq, the value of the globe won't change. If it does (grab Iraq) the globe will be trading on a penny stock market. I say sell!

[ChemistCat]

Put me on your ping list IF you won't be pinging me for articles about peace protests or weenie reserve soldiers trying to get out of fighting--I'm not interested in reading any more of those. I don't care what .05 of 1% of the world is willing to take to the streets to say and I'm not going to waste any more of my time on reading it. And I won't look at another article about how our reservists only signed on for the educational bennies but don't think they ought to have to fight in Iraq.

I am also not going to dignify the above other poster's remark about the Turks having "slaughtered" Greeks with a response beyond rolling my eyes. Sounds like peacenik talk, and this isn't time for that. The Turks are tough people who are more than capable of dishing it out as well as taking it, and if Ataturk wasn't willing to let his countrymen lie down and be doormats, too bad for Greece. I don't want my nation judged solely by the errors of its past, so I'm not going to judge the Turks only by those it may have committed.

Giving our ally money right now makes sense and if anyone has a problem with that then they don't understand the situation. Turkey is going to be fighting Iraq through mountainous, difficult terrain. It's still icy cold weather and some of the supply lines are going to be VERY tricky to protect. Their economy has to be bolstered enough to keep the people happy and functioning. Remember they've had some MAJOR earthquakes in the last few years and probably are not completely recovered yet as far as their industrial cities are concerned. Our economic machine is larger and better oiled than theirs and we'll have to help them get up to speed for a 21st century war. If they're going to want their piece of Iraq (a made up country, remember--it didn't exist before the Treaty of Versailles!) then they are going to work for it too. They're a proud people and most of what they need is the diplomatic green light that says we'll back them up.

[RobFromGa]

I have read hundreds of a_turk's posts and been on his ping list for some time.

Over the past week or so, as things have deteriorated between the USA and Turkey, it seems like an alien body invasion has taken place in some of his posts.

I am confused by some of his insinuations where he is saying that we are bad guys, when he used to think we are good guys. I personally KNOW that we are the good guys.

[MHGinTN]

The Turks are disappointed, according to Turkish papers, that Americans are told that the issue is money, when the real sticking points are military and political. Good point a_Turk.

It appears there is a reason to resist too much concession to Turkey at this time because of the new election panorama in Turkey. The Turkish military has been the stablizing force in Turkey for so long, resisting Islamic efforts to turn Turkey from a secular nation to an Islamic nation. Had the elections in Turkey gone differently, with a greater majority on the side of securing secularized freedom, our hand would be extended more quickly to our Turkish allies. What we cannot afford is a completely destabilized Turkey due to Islamic influence, thus the Northern portions of Iraq that are 'Kurdish' lands must be moved toward self-rule in democratic processes, without the sole guidance of the 'new' Turkey possibly moving in the dire direction of an Islamic state.

[a_Turk]

>> Make it look like we are ready to make an independent Kurdistan

And watch us roll in there..

Well, we're going to anyway.

>> the same Turks who killed 1 million Armenians and slaughtered Greeks in various bloody wars. Sure.

Button your lip, your (*) is showing..

[a_Turk]

>> Pretty aggressive move there.

He forgot to take his meds..

[a_Turk]

>> They are trying to blackmail us for money, now they are uping the ante.

Turns out that's what you're fed by your press..

[RobFromGa]

Judging from the quiet of the otherwise vocal Turkish military, I'd say our boys figured something out about you, and it must smell reeeealy bad to them..

Can you please explain this bit of cryptography? My decoder ring settings from before no longer work trying to figure out your posts.

[patriciaruth]

Hey, you and I are friends. If you think something is going on, just come out and say it. I may disagree with you sometimes, but I respect your point of view and your concerns. And I am grateful for all the years that Turkey has been our ally, and have been very concerned about their economic plight especially since the earthquakes, for which I sent relief donations..

The news media is just about stirring things up just to create viewership and ratings. Like Ron King stirring things up before a boxing match so he's sell lots of tickets.

Now there is a report that the Turks want the U.S. to guarantee their access to Iraqi oil as part of the deal. We've already ticked off the Russians by saying that we aren't going to dictate to the Iraqi people what they decide to do about their oil and oil contracts that Saddam signed. (President Bush is evidentally bending over backwards to make sure this war isn't about U.S. gaining control over Iraqi oil, so much so that he won't give anyone guarantees about who will have access to the oil after the war as he doesn't feel that is his to say.)

[SamAdams76]

It was for my 15-year anniversary with the company. I had a choice of the globe, some luggage, a Weber barbeque grill, a watch, or some other items I can't remember. I chose the globe because I always wanted a nice one that I could put in the library that I've been building for the past 10 years. Now I feel like an aristocrat, sitting in my easy chair with a roaring fireplace reading a book from my library. All I need is a pipe, a tumbler of scotch and a dog lying at my feet to complete the picture.