KADEK will be driven out of the region

The proposal to send Turkish troops to Iraq is an issue that has stemmed from Turkey. Ankara put forth that issue some time ago in order to mend fences with Washington.
The General Staff proposal to this effect — aimed at easing the tension in bilateral relations in the wake of the "motion" crisis and at winning favor with the Bush Administration — was relayed to Washington with the government’s approval.

This proposal had been made prior to the Sulaymaniyah incident and the Turkish side had been waiting for the Americans’ reply. They said they were accepting the offer because they need the Turkish troops and, also, because they did not want the "toughening up" in relations with Turkey to continue.

The details have not been discussed yet. In other words, it is not clear yet who will meet the expenses, where exactly the troops will be heading for or what kind of tasks they will perform. The only thing we know is that if that force will not be serving under a U.N. or NATO umbrella the Americans will be given full control.

In Ankara — in the military and Foreign Ministry circles alike — there are two different views.

1. They have pulled down sacks over our heads, don’t let us send troops
According to one argument, the Americans have deliberately humiliated the Turkish troops by pulling sacks over their heads. That argument boils down to the following:

"That was an insult, the biggest blow ever delivered to the Turkish army’s honor and prestige in the country or abroad. Even the country’s position has been shaken greatly.

"In such a situation it would be extremely wrong to send the Mehmetcik to Iraq to protect the U.S. troops as if nothing had happened. Such a move move would trigger adverse reactions from the general public not to mention the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

"If such a move were to be made before eliciting an apology from the Americans that would be a fresh blow to the TSK’s prestige.

"It would be wrong to place the Turkish troops under the command of American officers and condone the way they would be used as America’s police force in the absence of a U.N. or NATO umbrella."

"Let us take our time. The U.S. is coming under strain in Iraq and in the end it will once again need our help. Besides, a U.N. or NATO umbrella will inevitably have been created. Then we would send the Turkish troops there."

2. Don’t let us make the same mistake, let us send troops
Here is the opposing view:

"The idea that Turkish troops should be sent to Iraq came from Turkey. Prior to the ‘motion’ crisis too we had made promises. Americans made their plans accordingly. However, in the end we could not fulfil our promises.

"If acted in the same manner now, we cannot resolve this issue ever again. There must be no bargaining for money. No special conditions must be put forth. Keeping the promises that have been made, troops must be sent.

"In those circles in Ankara that shape Turkey’s policies, military and civilian, there are those who still make the same ‘old and erroneous’ assessments. They say that America is ‘sinking’ in Iraq, that it needs Turkey, and that as long as it meets with resistance in Iraq continues it will be needing Turkey more and more, knocking on our door.

"These assessments couldn’t be more wrong. If policies were to be determined on the basis of such assessments Turkey would be plunged irreversibly into a difficult situation."

A new northern Iraqi policy is a must
Regardless of any argument to the contrary, Turkey must determine a new northern Iraqi policy and that policy must be implemented by the Foreign Ministry rather than the military. Better do that late than never.

I was astonished by the remarks made by Nihat Ali Ozcan, a Middle East expert, during the MANSET program. He disclosed that a special political document had been prepared in 1996 and that the task of formulating a northern Iraq policy and implementing it had been left to the military.

He said, "Since then a succession of governments including the current government have failed to say, ‘Well, conditions have changed. Let us determine a new policy’."

I think the time has come for that.