Saturday, 03 November 2007,
Fallah Mustafa
By Michael Jansen
Ireland com
Ankara is being strongly urged to stay its hand by Iraqi Kurdistan's leadership.
Iraq's Kurdistan regional government hopes Ankara will think twice and consider its real interests before sending its troops across the border to attack Turkish Kurdish PKK guerrillas based in the rugged Qandil mountains.
Turkey has already reduced the flow of goods into Iraqi Kurdistan and threatens to cut electricity to put pressure on the government to take action against the guerrillas.
But Falah Mustafa Bakir, head of foreign relations for the regional government (KRG), says that "Turkey is part of Nato, Turkey wants to join the EU, Turkey thinks about the economy and the safety of its own people. Therefore, considering all these factors, there could be a big problem for Turkey if it decides to carry out an incursion.
"We believe there is a chance for Turkey to reconsider its position and to work for a peaceful solution."
He said the KRG considers the guerrillas "an internal Turkish problem" that has resisted a military solution for 23 years.
"Our message to Turkey is that if you want to take a peaceful approach we want to help you as much as we can . . . We are not part of this problem. We do not support [ guerrilla] violence, we do not support military action. We do not think there is any excuse for the Turkish military to violate Iraq's sovereignty.
"We want to have good relations with Turkey and the KRG has a firm policy of non-interference in the affairs of neighbouring countries. We don't want our areas to be used for aggression against our neighbours.
"Turkish military action threatens the stability of Iraq and puts at risk" gains made over the past four years.
"We are busy building a federal democratic Iraq, that's our mission. We are focusing on stabilising the other regions of the country. The Kurdistan region is the only safe and secure part of the country right now and [ if Turkey takes military action] Kurdistan will not remain safe and secure."
The tension between the KRG and Ankara has political as well as security causes. A key bone of contention is a referendum due to be held during 2007.
It will decide whether or not the oil-rich city of Kirkuk and other areas in northern Iraq will be annexed by the Kurdistan region. Ankara fears a referendum will lead to attempts to create a "Greater Kurdistan" extending into southeastern Turkey. A majority of Arab Iraqis also oppose the referendum which they see as the first step in the division of Iraq into three ethno-sectarian states.
Although Turkey and some Arab factions are prepared to use force to prevent the expansion of the Kurdish region, the KRG is not ready to back down over the referendum, Mr Bakir asserted.
"The Kurdish leadership has shown utmost flexibility in order to find a peaceful, lasting solution for the disputed areas. We have been patient."
He dismissed criticism of the oil law unilaterally adopted by the KRG.
He said, "we are committed to the constitution and its provisions for revenue sharing amongst the regions. We have worked hard in order to agree on a petroleum law for Iraq at the federal level."
Turkey strongly opposes Kurdish control of the region's oil resources because revenues from oil could give the semi-autonomous region greater independence.
He also brushed aside opposition to federalism by Turkey and Iraqis who want a strong central government. "We want a powersharing arrangement for the Kurds and Arabs and other national minorities to be part of the set-up in Baghdad and to make sure that the federal system is implemented throughout the country . . . we have asked for a federal Iraq so all the regions can run their own affairs.
"We rejected dictatorship from Saddam Hussein. It means that there is no chance that we will accept dictatorship any more."
Turkey has already reduced the flow of goods into Iraqi Kurdistan and threatens to cut electricity to put pressure on the government to take action against the guerrillas.
But Falah Mustafa Bakir, head of foreign relations for the regional government (KRG), says that "Turkey is part of Nato, Turkey wants to join the EU, Turkey thinks about the economy and the safety of its own people. Therefore, considering all these factors, there could be a big problem for Turkey if it decides to carry out an incursion.
"We believe there is a chance for Turkey to reconsider its position and to work for a peaceful solution."
He said the KRG considers the guerrillas "an internal Turkish problem" that has resisted a military solution for 23 years.
"Our message to Turkey is that if you want to take a peaceful approach we want to help you as much as we can . . . We are not part of this problem. We do not support [ guerrilla] violence, we do not support military action. We do not think there is any excuse for the Turkish military to violate Iraq's sovereignty.
"We want to have good relations with Turkey and the KRG has a firm policy of non-interference in the affairs of neighbouring countries. We don't want our areas to be used for aggression against our neighbours.
"Turkish military action threatens the stability of Iraq and puts at risk" gains made over the past four years.
"We are busy building a federal democratic Iraq, that's our mission. We are focusing on stabilising the other regions of the country. The Kurdistan region is the only safe and secure part of the country right now and [ if Turkey takes military action] Kurdistan will not remain safe and secure."
The tension between the KRG and Ankara has political as well as security causes. A key bone of contention is a referendum due to be held during 2007.
It will decide whether or not the oil-rich city of Kirkuk and other areas in northern Iraq will be annexed by the Kurdistan region. Ankara fears a referendum will lead to attempts to create a "Greater Kurdistan" extending into southeastern Turkey. A majority of Arab Iraqis also oppose the referendum which they see as the first step in the division of Iraq into three ethno-sectarian states.
Although Turkey and some Arab factions are prepared to use force to prevent the expansion of the Kurdish region, the KRG is not ready to back down over the referendum, Mr Bakir asserted.
"The Kurdish leadership has shown utmost flexibility in order to find a peaceful, lasting solution for the disputed areas. We have been patient."
He dismissed criticism of the oil law unilaterally adopted by the KRG.
He said, "we are committed to the constitution and its provisions for revenue sharing amongst the regions. We have worked hard in order to agree on a petroleum law for Iraq at the federal level."
Turkey strongly opposes Kurdish control of the region's oil resources because revenues from oil could give the semi-autonomous region greater independence.
He also brushed aside opposition to federalism by Turkey and Iraqis who want a strong central government. "We want a powersharing arrangement for the Kurds and Arabs and other national minorities to be part of the set-up in Baghdad and to make sure that the federal system is implemented throughout the country . . . we have asked for a federal Iraq so all the regions can run their own affairs.
"We rejected dictatorship from Saddam Hussein. It means that there is no chance that we will accept dictatorship any more."
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