THE INCIRLIK QUESTION

The ‘red lines’ on this issue drawn by Turkey faded away because we couldn’t give military support, and our ‘strategic partnership’ with the United States fell flat when the motion on US troop deployment was rejected by Parliament.

So Barzani and Talabani became the US’ ‘strategic allies’ in Iraq. As Saddam’s army dissolved, the Kurds took the remaining weapons, including heavy armaments. The Americans also told Ankara, ‘Talabani has sold some of Saddam’s remaining tanks to Iran!’ Barzani and Talabani have benefited very well from this arrangement. They want to form a ‘federal Kurdistan’ including Mosul and Kirkuk, and under which the PKK remains in the Kandili Mountains.

The US has problems with the Shiites and is in conflict with the Sunnis. Washington at this stage is trying to please the Kurds. One factor that weakens Turkey’s hand is that there is a distinct cooling among the American troops in northern Iraq towards Turkey. Remember the Sulaimaniya incident back in March. You can see it in the attitude of the US troops’ when a problem of public order arises in Kirkuk. American troops print red, yellow and green visiting cards [the colors of the so-called Kurdish flag]! The reason isn’t political, but rather psychological: For months the US was kept waiting at sea by Turkey and then was refused. They had to invade from the south instead of using an easy access through Turkey. These troops will be rotated; they will go back to the US. New troops will come in their place. Ankara has a list of US officers that reacted ‘with hostility’ towards Turkey. These officers will go back to the US under this rotation. And Ankara wants to speed up this rotation by opening its Incirlik Airbase.

But what does the law say? United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483, based on the binding 7th chapter of the UN Charter, urges every country to help the coalition forces’ efforts to establish public order, security and stability. Our decree of June 23, 2003 based on this resolution states that the Turkish General Staff will determine the ‘principles and procedures’ to which US troops returning to the US via Incirlik will conform. There is no war. Therefore Article 92 of the Constitution on ‘foreign troops in Turkey’ is not the germane in this matter, and so needs no decision by the Parliament. Also Turkey’s strategic interests and its anxieties on northern Iraq require speed in this rotation as well as progress in Turkish-US relations.”