Concerns over Iraq

Could a new integrity be ensured in Iraq? Could a new administration be established with Shiites, Sunni Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen under the same roof? Could Iraq’s territorial integrity be saved? Ankara cannot answer these questions positively. Both civilian and military experts agree that it’s very difficult for Arabs and Kurds to gather together in mutual confidence in Iraq, which seems to have been divided into two. This is where concerns come from. Besides the fact that the US couldn’t establish an administration and security, also the torture scandal knocked down the US’ expectations on Iraq to almost zero.

Such developments cause Ankara to be concerned about the following two issues:

1) A civil war between Arabs and Kurds 2) The incapability of establishing Turkmen security in an atmosphere of chaos.

Ankara thinks that if a civil war in Iraq cannot be prevented, not only this country, but also neighboring countries, including Turkey, and the entire region will be damaged. Therefore, both civilian and military experts in Ankara think that instead of the US and Britain, the United Nations should govern and control Iraq, and Iraq should be left to UN peacekeeping forces. For Ankara, the civilian Iraqi people should be protected this way and the administration should be left to civilians. When the US was invading Iraq, it ignored the UN. However, it has proved unsuccessful. Will the US accept this and leave the administration and control to the UN or else ask NATO to get involved in the issue? Would NATO accept such a request? Answers to these questions are unknown for now. Maybe US President George W. Bush will give clues about it at the NATO summit next month in Istanbul. Even if he doesn’t, the world shouldn’t stay be a spectator to all this.”