Kurds Cannot Be A Determining Factor 

Ankara pledges support for a strike on Iraq 

Nuv 5, 2001
Ankara - Turkish Daily News
SAADET ORUC 

As Ankara welcomes U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, signs of Turkish support
for a possible U.S. strike on Iraq are strengthening. 

Top military officials, speaking to the Turkish Daily News on Tuesday, confirmed a
policy change on Iraq, the clues of which were given by the Turkish Ambassador in
Washington Faruk Logoglu in earlier remarks to the Defense News and Defense
Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu. 

"As we have given support to the United States during the Gulf War and the war on
terrorism, we will probably continue to support the United States. But, of course, we
will be looking for a United Nations resolution on "terrorism" and the enhancement of
the majority of the coalition for such a strike," a senior official said. 

Stating that the U.S. military deployment, which was made recently in Afghanistan, will
not remain solely for the continuation of the strikes on Afghanistan, the official
predicted that within two months, an operation would be launched. 

The words of the official showed that a resolution to be decided by the Security
Council of the U.N. on arms inspection will not be considered sufficient for Turkish
support of a possible strike on Iraq, however, the official has ruled out any strong
Turkish opposition regarding fresh strikes on Iraq. 

Kurds cannot be a determining factor 

Comparing the ongoing operation in Afghanistan with the one strongly expected to be
held in Iraq, the official said that the opposition factions in Afghanistan and Iraq differ
from each other. 

"The Northern Alliance was provided support by Russia and Turkey, while it is
impossible to reach any result with the separatist Kurds in Iraq, namely the Kurdistan
Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)," he stated. 

"Without "softening" a land with air bombardment, it is impossible to reach any result
strategically," said the official, in an aim to characterize the framework of the Turkish
support for an operation in Iraq. 

"We can open air bases for such operations, just like the support for the war in
Afghanistan," he said. 

Referring to the anti-democratic regime in Baghdad, both governmental and military
officials, in a careful tone, commented that the confrontation between Saddam
Hussein and the Western world gives the Iraqi leader a chance to strengthen his
image inside the country. 

The evaluations being made among the top figures in Ankara have resulted in the
conclusion that the United States was not against the people of Iraq, but against the
regime in Baghdad. 

Naturally, both military and political circles are very well aware of the fact that the
raising of the debate on "U.N. inspections in Iraq" will result in the necessity of a
regime change in Iraq. 

The losses caused during the Gulf War are still on the minds of Ankara, and the
rhetoric of "putting in one and gaining three," which was the slogan of former
President Turgut Ozal during the Gulf War, is accepted as one of the biggest mistakes
in Turkish history. This time, in a cautious and "realistic" way, Ankara is seen to be
going to provide the best approach for its interests and also the interests of the
region. 
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