Turkish Military Chief Lashes Out at US and Iraqi Kurds
[General Hilmi Ozkok, the chief of general staff] hit out at the United States Wednesday for failing to curb Turkish Kurdish rebels hiding in northern Iraq and warned that Iraqi Kurdish attempts to take control of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk could throw the entire region into turmoil.
Ozkok expressed concern over attempts by Iraqi Kurds to seize the ethnically volatile city of Kirkuk, which, he said, with its large oil resources, should belong to all Iraqis and not just one ethnic group. "That is why it is important for Kirkuk to have a special status," Ozkok said. "We have said several times that Kirkuk is a problem area ready to explode ... and that it would affect the entire region if it explodes." Turkey suspects Iraqi Kurds of planning to capitalise on their post-war gains to make Kirkuk the capital of an independent Kurdish state. Such a state, Ankara fears, would fuel separatism among the restive Kurds of adjoining southeastern Turkey, sparking regional turmoil.
Turkey fears a Kurdish homeland on its eastern border where millions of similarly inclined Kurds will likely attempt to secede and join the Iraqi Kurds. Turkey already has troops in northern Iraq keeping an eye on the Kurds and stirring up their Turkoman relatives to defend Kirkuk.
So far, the Bush Administration has turned a blind eye towards Turkey and can only remember when the Turks refused to allow the Army 4th Mechanized Division to cross through Turkey into Iraq.
Turkey has been remarkably patient with the Bush Administration adventures. They do not want to turn their back on NATO. But they will if civil war becomes a risk. They see civil war as inevitable if the Kurds control Kirkuk. They have drawn a line in the sand. But no one seems to be noticing. Even the people of Turkey are showing signs of turning away from Israel.
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