The Menu (Turkish Editorial)

Milliyet ^ | 2/24/2003 | Guneri Civaoghlu

[a_Turk]

During Gulf War 1 I visited the residence of our current Foreign Minister Yashar Yakish, who was the Turkish ambassador in Riyadh at the time.

Yakish had called the US ambassador.

He had secured meetings with some of the US commanders of the operation. The first signs of the challenges Yakish has met nowadays were visible during those meetings..

Two US officers with excellent Turkish skills made some very interesting statements in a suite on the upper floors of a hotel where the US command was at work. Even though I had written about these conversations in previous essays, I think it makes sense to repeat some of them..


The Hand on the Map

The American colonel had worked as part of an aid team in Ankara and knew perfect Turkish.

While providing his information he had moved toward the map on the wall, had placed his palm over northern Irak andwhile moving it around had said:

"We will move up to Baghdad.

Saddam will fall.

Irak will go through a transition.

But... even if Saddam were to stay, Turkey will enter a difficult time..

Because the Kurds in northern Irak had already militarized. They will confiscate the heavy weaponry left over fdreom Saddam's forces. They will be stronger.

They will put together their own regime in the area.

They may demand land from Turkey.

You're either going to give it to them or you're going to have to fight..."

Not deep but Cool

I couldn't believe my ears..

Was there some mistake?

Or perhaps it was a joke.

No, it was not... Because the other office who spoke next repeated what the first one had shared..

I asked:

"And you?

Will America be a spectator?"

Their answer... "Once we're done with our work we are going to leave here. We'll return home. Turkey will remain with the Kurds of northern Irak."

I didn' want to drag this out. They were after all gears of a plan hatched by others far higher up..

Yet, I had said a few things, none the less:

"You performed this operation with Turkish help.. You used our bases.. The northern Iraki Kurds you said would 'demand land from Turkey, may opt to fight' ran to us from Saddam's butchery.

We took them under our wing.

So now you're telling me that, as though this weren't the result of US policy: 'We will leave and northern Irak will be your problem to deal with.'

What kind of friendship is this, what kind of partnership?"

Their answer was not deep, but cool.

"The US partnered with Turkey for the liberation of Kuwait. Once our goal is reached we will leave..."

Vietnam reminder

I thought..

This seems to be how America operates. It leaves without even looking back.

The waste it lays is no longer her problem. This was how she left Vietnam after years of fighting there.

After years of shoulder to shoulder fighting, their friends were left to the Communists in a heartbeat.

Let's return to our own (Turkish) geography.

Plainly Turkey had had her situations with the Kurdish challenge in northern Irak before Saddam had attacked Kuwait, and before the US pushed him back.

That's why the US officers were shrugging and suggesting that 'nothing had changed.'

Yet it was the US who had altered the scene by removing the central authority and by arming northern Irak.

After leaving a warehouse of bombs there, and lighting the fuse, she was claiming to have nothing to do personally there.

Cafe Politics

Yashar Yakish was the guest on the Sunday Morning show, Cafe Politics.. He was complaining that there was still no agreement with the USA on the military and political aspects of northern Irak.

"The forces of Barzani and Talabani are are arming themselves well in northern Irak, and they will arm themselves even better.

These arms must be collected after the war. This is where we're unable to agree." he was saing.

In other words... The scenario which was presented to Yashar Yakish 12 years ago while he was ambassador to Riyadh is being presented again.

Turkey will be spent (that means given the "oh well") one way or the other in the end, and she is right to fight as had hard as she is for her national security interests.

[RottiBiz]

Thank you for translating this editorial.

Your commentary and levelheaded analysis of the current situation in Turkey is very much appreciated.

I resent the "it's all about money" mantra of the liberal media. Turkey has to defend its people just as much as we have to defend ours.

I still pray that the Turkish parliament approves the recommendation of the cabinet and we will undertake this war side-by-side, as we have done in the past.

[a_Turk]

>> Air superiority over northern Iraq has already been established.

That is what concerns our generals..

[He Rides A White Horse]

Whose idea was it that dominos only fall in one direction?

After watching the news today, it would appear that the President doesn't subscribe to notion either.........;)

[He Rides A White Horse]

that notion.

[Nogbad]

Ping

[a_Turk]

ping

[a_Turk]

ping

[a_Turk]

ping

[CatoRenasci]

Thanks for the ping, but what now? The problem remains, Turkey's interests and the United States' interests are partly congruent, but not identical. The longer Turkey does not help us -- and two weeks is two weeks too long, we need your approval Saturday at the latest -- the more our interests diverge, and the greater the likelihood we will support an independent Kurdistan. I think Turkey, for perhaps understandable reasons, has made a grave strategic blunder. The US will act in its own interests, and to the extent the war is more difficult or more expensive, especially if Americans believe we suffer more casualties, as a result to Turkey's rejection of our troops, America will be less willing to work with the Turks on this and other issues, including your economy, the EU, NATO, etc.

So, in all seriousness, what to do?

[a_Turk]

I guess convince the Turks that their suspicions are baseless?

[Right_in_Virginia]

I've got a better understanding now of Turkey's fears about the Kurds.

But, "a_Turk", how did Turkey help itself by forcing the US to turn for help from the very group the're afraid of? Who stands a better chance of coming out of this war a closer friend of America...the Turks or the Kurds?

I still don't know what Turkey's thought process was...or is.