Think Turkey is gonna be a problem or are they just "testing" what they can get away with or actually gonna protect their kinfolk (Turkoman) which would be a great excuse to get some oil fields? Did brief reading about their dilemma -- another long-time struggle.
From Turkish Press:
turkishpress.com
We can clearly see a conflict of goals between the US and Turkey. Every military operation has an aim. Considering the Iraq crisis from the standpoints of Turkey and the US, we see that the areas of disagreement are much larger than the areas of overlap in the aims of the two countries.
The US has problems with Iraq’s power, and Turkey has problems with the opposition in Iraq. The US is trying to overthrow the Iraqi regime by cozying up to the Iraqi opposition. However, Turkey is trying to block the opposition in Iraq from coming to power. The US’ target is Saddam Hussein, whereas Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IKDP) head Massoud Barzani is Turkey’s target. While Washington is trying to control Baghdad, Turkey is trying to control northern Iraq. The US is aligning itself with northern Iraq and the Kurdish groups there, but Turkey is against them. Turkey doesn’t support the Saddam administration either, but its main quarrel isn’t with him.
Under such circumstances, a conflict of goals has emerged between the US and Turkey, and this is sowing deep doubts for the future. The recent problems of cooperation between Ankara and Washington spring from this conflict. Can this conflict be overcome? Can an alignment of aims be ensured between the two countries through a memorandum of understanding? And even if it’s set down on paper, what about in practice?
From Yahoo:
Turkey Says Its Troops Will Enter Northern Iraq
Turkey already stations several thousand soldiers a short distance inside northern Iraq, but Iraqi Kurds oppose their presence saying they threaten Iraq's territorial integrity.
Iraqi Kurds have vowed to fight Turkish troops if they come into their self-governing area, especially if they do so without U.S. allies.
Kurds have ruled Iraq's three northernmost provinces since 1991, when U.S. and British warplanes enforced a "no-fly" zone there to keep Iraqi President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s forces away after he put down a Kurdish uprising at the end of the Gulf War (news - web sites).
Kurds have been generally positive toward the arrival of U.S. forces, but they oppose any Turkish plan to send its own troops, saying Ankara is only interested in repressing Kurds.
Turkey has a large Kurdish minority living near its Iraqi border and fears for its own territorial integrity if a Kurdish homeland enters the agenda for a post-Saddam settlement in Iraq.
Turkey has frequently cited the need to protect Iraq's Turkoman minority, ethnically, linguistically and culturally close to Turks, as another reason for sending in troops.
But senior Iraqi Turkoman officials have dismissed the need for such a move. |
